On Wednesday, September 10 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, India crushed the United Arab Emirates in Match No. 2 of the ongoing Asia Cup 2025.
The Indians could not go wrong after bowling first, as by the 14th over of the innings, they had bundled the UAE lineup for just 57 runs. The two most notable bowlers for the Men in Blue were Shivam Dube and Kuldeep Yadav.
Lalchand Rajput, the head coach of the United Arab Emirates, who has played for India and was part of the Indian squad at the first T20 World Cup in 2007, spoke candidly about the defeat. He acknowledged that they were totally outplayed in the tournament opening by their lack of practice against a top-tier bowling attack like India. Rajput also discussed the breadth of the Indian team’s departmental capabilities.
“We were intimidated by big names and never played such bowlers. Teams will be crushed by world champions. Up until powerplay, everything was fine, but as spinners began to function, things started to change. Although there wasn’t much turn, even the best hitters find it difficult to defeat Kuldeep and Varun. Additionally, the Indian Express quoted Rajput as saying following the game, “If Arshdeep is unable to make it to the playing eleven, it tells you about the (Indian) team’s depth.”
Suryakumar Yadav, the captain of India, was pleased with his bowlers’ utterly dominant performance in the first innings, which made it easier for the hitters in the second. The Mumbai native claimed that although the spinners performed the most of the work, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, and Dube’s assistance was ultimately very beneficial.
“The spinners play a part, and the pitch looked excellent, but it was on the slower side. A lot of the boys were here recently for the Champions Trophy. It’s really hot here right now, and Kuldeep fared great with Hardik, Dube, and Bumrah’s help,” he remarked.
With an exceptional net run-rate (NRR) of 10.48, the Men in Blue are presently leading the points standings. On September 14, they will play Pakistan at the same location. On September 19, at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi, they will play Oman in their third and last group stage match of the competition.
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