India, the reigning champions, enjoyed a dominant start to the Asia Cup 2025, securing a resounding victory against the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The match concluded with India winning by 9 wickets, with a significant 93 balls remaining. India’s bowling attack displayed exceptional skill, keeping UAE from playing a full innings, ultimately dismissing them for a mere 57 runs. Kuldeep Yadav, India’s renowned spinner, was particularly effective, taking three wickets in a single over, thereby crippling the UAE’s batting lineup. Wasim Akram, the former captain of Pakistan, praised Yadav’s performance, making a comparison of the UAE team to a school team. Ajay Jadeja, a former Indian cricketer, expressed concerns about the future of the Asia Cup, in light of the UAE’s performance.
In the ninth over of the UAE innings, Kuldeep Yadav delivered a match-winning spell, claiming three wickets and significantly contributing to UAE’s final score of just 57 runs. In the Asia Cup match against India, the UAE team was all out in 13.1 overs, scoring only 57 runs. Kuldeep Yadav’s stats showcased his dominance, with three wickets taken for only 7 runs in 2.1 overs. This outstanding performance was lauded by Wasim Akram, the former Pakistani cricketer.
During his commentary on Sony Sports, Akram noted, “What a talent! He is very good at this short format and bowls accordingly. Kuldeep is varying his bowling so the batsmen are unable to pick it up.” Akram further added that Kuldeep was bowling against UAE as if playing against a school team. Former Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja also made a notable comment regarding the Asia Cup.
While commentating on Sony Sports, Ajay Jadeja was critical of the performance of the UAE team. He pointed out that if lesser teams continue to perform poorly, the future of the Asia Cup could be under threat. He suggested that the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) should assess whether they will continue to include these weaker teams or concentrate on teams with proven cricketing ability.
Jadeja highlighted that the poor performances of less competitive teams were diminishing the excitement surrounding the Asia Cup. He called for the ACC to address this issue. India’s comprehensive 9-wicket win in the opening match against UAE marked a promising beginning to the tournament.