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Suryakumar Yadav-led India defeated the UAE by nine wickets in their Asia Cup 2025 opener clash at Dubai International Stadium in Dubai. After opting to bowl, India bundled out the UAE on just 57 runs, where Kuldeep Yadav was the pick of the bowlers with four scalps, conceding seven runs. Jasprit Bumrah also played a key role, taking an important wicket early to stop the UAE’s good start. The other spinners, Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel, kept the pressure on and picked up wickets, while Shivam Dube, who was part of India's T20 World Cup-winning squad, polished off the tail with his career-best (3/4) bowling figures.
While chasing, India opener Abhishek Sharma shared a loud and clear message by smashing a six on the first ball, and his partner Shubman Gill was also off to the mark with a boundary. Abhishek scored 30 runs off just 16 balls, including three sixes and four boundaries, while Gill remained unbeaten on 20 from 9 balls(2 fours and one six). The hosts looked lost, unable to find the right line or length, as India chased down the total in no time. This was India's fastest chase in the history of the shortest format of the game.
Notably, this was the second time that India had faced the UAE in a T20I clash. Earlier, both sides faced each other in a T20I clash during the Asia Cup 2016 in Mirpur, Bangladesh. MS Dhoni-led India restricted UAE to 81 for nine in its 20 overs, where each of India’s six bowlers took a wicket and Bhuvneshwar Kumar picked two. India defeated the side by nine wickets.
India's previous record of fastest chases were of 6.3 overs against Scotland in 2021 and smashed another fast chase of 9.2 overs against Bangladesh in 2023.
Fastest chase by India in Men's T20I ( by overs)
4.3 overs vs U.A.E, Today
6.3 overs vs SCO, Dubai 2021
9.2 overs vs BAN, Hangzhou 2023
After defeating the UAE in the opener clash, India will now face Pakistan in the second group stage match which will take place at the same venue on September 14.
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