Records tumble as India rout UAE in Dubai
Fifty-seven. That was all the United Arab Emirates could manage in a 20-over game on their home turf. India needed just 4.3 overs to erase it. The Asia Cup 2025 opener at Dubai International Cricket Stadium turned into a procession, with India winning by nine wickets and leaving a trail of broken records behind.
UAE’s 57 was their lowest total in T20 Internationals, worse than the 62 they managed against Scotland in 2024 at the same venue. It also became the lowest score by any team against India in men’s T20Is, undercutting New Zealand’s 66 all out in Ahmedabad in 2023. For a side eager to prove it could compete at home, this was a bruising start.
The damage came fast. Kuldeep Yadav was unplayable. He finished with 4 for 7, including three wickets in a single over, ripping through the middle with drift and sharp turn. On a night full of markers, his figures rank as the second-best by a bowler in the men’s T20 Asia Cup, behind only Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s 5 for 4 against Afghanistan in 2022. Shivam Dube backed him with three wickets of his own, using a heavy back-of-a-length plan that UAE’s batters struggled to pick or hit through.
India’s chase was clinical and ruthless. They burst out of the blocks, attacked anything with width, and refused to let the game meander. The target of 58 vanished in 4.3 overs, leaving 93 balls unused. That’s India’s largest victory margin by balls remaining in a men’s T20I, surpassing their previous best of 81 balls against Scotland at the 2021 T20 World Cup. Among Full Member nations, it stands as the second-biggest chase win by balls remaining, behind England’s demolition of Oman last year when they hunted down 48 with 101 deliveries left.
For the tournament’s record book, there was more. No team had ever won a men’s T20 Asia Cup match with 10 or more overs to spare—until now. And UAE’s total of 57 sits as the competition’s second-lowest, above only Hong Kong’s 38 all out against Pakistan in Sharjah in 2022.
There was a quirk, too: India finally snapped an extraordinary streak of 15 straight toss losses across formats, the longest run recorded by a men’s international side. Their last successful call had come in January in Rajkot against England. Whether the coin flip made a difference or not, India got first crack with the ball and never let go.
In a game this short, the defining moments were compressed into a handful of overs. India’s new-ball plan kept the stumps in play, forcing mistakes. Once a couple of wickets fell, Kuldeep’s spells became a chokehold. He varied pace and angle wisely, dragging UAE’s batters into indecision. Several dismissals came from that hesitation—feet stuck, bat late, edges and mis-hits looping to infielders. Dube’s timing of the short ball complemented that approach; he wasn’t express pace, but he hit the splice often enough to keep the batters guessing.
On the other side, India’s batters treated the chase like a net session. The top order took the aerial route early, with clean lofted drives and pick-ups over midwicket. There was no slogging—just calculated risk. The aim was clear: finish it fast, bank the net run rate, move on. Suryakumar Yadav, leading the effort, set an attacking tone that never dipped. The result was a blink-and-miss-it finish that underlined the gulf between the teams on the night.
UAE will know the collapse wasn’t just about shot selection. Their batters were late to adjust to the surface and length; they were also passive at the start. In T20, dot-ball pressure is its own wicket-taker. Once the singles dried up and the scoreboard stalled, panic followed. Attempts to break free turned into miscues, and India’s fielders didn’t offer second chances.
What the result means for Group A—and what UAE must fix
Group A features India, Pakistan, and Oman alongside UAE, so the margins matter. A blowout this early gifts India a huge net run rate cushion, which can be decisive if positions get tight later. It also sends a blunt message: the defending champions aren’t easing their way into this tournament.
For UAE, the path is simple but steep. They have to reset quickly. The fixture list leaves little time to dwell, and their meeting with Oman could effectively become a must-win if they aim to stay alive. On batting, they need two fixes now: rotate early and attack late. The first six overs can’t be a blockathon against elite attacks. Even nudging singles and sweeping to disrupt a spinner’s line would have eased the squeeze. Once they were stuck at the crease, India dictated tempo and length at will.
The spin question won’t go away either. Teams have a book on UAE: apply early pressure, then squeeze with wrist spin when the middle order arrives. Kuldeep’s numbers—4 for 7 with three in one over—weren’t a one-off product of mystery deliveries. They were a response to reluctance on the back foot and hesitance to use the crease. Expect UAE’s analysts to drill match-ups, especially against left-arm wrist-spin, and to rehearse release shots: late cuts, sweeps, and the reverse to upset length.
If there’s one silver lining for the hosts, it’s familiarity with Dubai’s pace and carry. They’ve seen totals of 140–160 defended here when the surface grips and the square boundaries feel longer than they look. But none of that helps if you don’t bat 20 overs. A target in the 130s at least gives the bowlers fields to play with. That should be the first checkpoint: bat deep, value wickets through the tenth over, and earn the right to hit later.
India, meanwhile, can take several positives. Kuldeep’s control shows he’s in rhythm early in the tournament. Dube’s three-wicket hand adds depth to the seam-spin blend. The batting group, barely needed, got a free hit to clear any rust without exposing themselves to risk. And yes, the net run rate will loom large if the Pakistan game becomes a low-scoring scrap—these are the tiny edges teams crave at multi-nation events.
What’s next? For India, it’s about keeping the same intensity when the opposition is sharper. One runaway win doesn’t tell you everything, but it does show clarity. Their powerplay bowling looked organized, the fielding clean, and the chase-treatment ruthless. Those are markers that travel well. For UAE, this is a gut check. The past year already flagged a warning with that previous low of 62 against Scotland in Dubai. Two sub-65 totals at the same venue in back-to-back seasons point to a trend. Breaking it will take more than a pep talk—it needs a tighter plan and belief under pressure.
Opening nights often shape narratives. This one sets India up as the side to beat and leaves UAE searching for answers. The numbers will live on the records page: lowest total against India, second-lowest in the competition, India’s biggest win by balls remaining, and the first men’s T20 Asia Cup victory with more than 10 overs left. But the bigger takeaway is energy and clarity. India had both. UAE have to find theirs fast if they want to be more than a footnote in the Asia Cup 2025.
