India showed their strength in Dubai with a crushing nine-wicket win over hosts United Arab Emirates in their opening Asia Cup 2025 match on Wednesday. The UAE were bowled out for just 57 in 13.1 overs, before India chased down the target in only 4.3 overs.
After the game, UAE head coach Lalchand Rajput admitted his players were overwhelmed by both the occasion and the star names in the Indian side.
“It was not really a turning track, it was a good wicket to bat on,” Rajput said. “But the skill these bowlers have, especially the wrist-spinners, means they can turn the ball on any surface. For our batters, it was the first time playing against such quality, and they were overawed by India’s big names. We should have batted 20 overs, but it’s a learning process for us.”
India’s spinners were the difference. Kuldeep Yadav produced a brilliant spell of 4 for 10, while Shivam Dube chipped in with 3 for 4. Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel and Jasprit Bumrah also picked up wickets as India’s bowlers made light work of the UAE batting.
“World champions will always crush teams,” Rajput added. “It was fine till the powerplay, but once the spinners came on, everything changed. There wasn’t much turn, but with Kuldeep and Varun, even top players find it hard.”
Rajput also pointed out how the presence of India’s star names had an effect on his players. “This Indian team is full of stars — Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, the list goes on. These are players the whole world follows. Our boys don’t often get a chance to play against them, so naturally they felt the pressure.”
Still, the coach stressed that matches like these are vital for his team’s development. He reminded everyone that the UAE recently beat Bangladesh in a T20I series and pushed Afghanistan close.
“This is all part of the journey,” he said. “The more our players face these kinds of bowlers, the more confidence they will gain. Playing against India will only help them grow. We will take the lessons and move forward.”
For Rajput and his team, the loss was heavy, but the experience may prove priceless as the UAE continue their push to compete with bigger nations.
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