IND vs UAE: 'We will not take it as a big match...': UAE captain Muhammad Waseem shares his take on Asia Cup clash against India

India vs United Arab Emirates, Asia Cup 2025: India will kick-off their Asia Cup campaign with the clash against UAE on September 10 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Though the Men in Blue are the favourites to win the match, UAE captain Muhammad Waseem is confident about his side's performance on their home soil.

The match against India will also be UAE's opening match of the Asia Cup and thus, they will be looking to make a strong start to the tournament. However, Waseem stated that the side will not be thinking of it as a big match and will rather be focusing on executing their plans against the Suryakumar Yadav-led side.

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"We will not take it as a big match because all the teams are good in front of you, so all the matches will be the same. We are working hard in the heat, and we will only follow our plan. Whatever we have learned and whatever we need to do on that day, we will do it. Rest, the result is up to the game," Waseem told ANI.

Waseem also revealed that his side haven't made individual plans for any of Team India's players and remarked that they will try to take advantage of their home conditions by playing good cricket.

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"No, we have not made any individual plan for any particular player. We have created a plan for 6-7 batters for the whole team. We will not give in to their strength. We will play carefully with their wicket-taker bowler, and whoever we can charge, we have made such a plan. If the unit is more, the role of the spinners can increase," Waseem stated.

"We play a lot of cricket here. We can also say that India and Pakistan play a lot of cricket here. But it is our home. So we will try our best to take advantage of it and play good cricket," he added.

India's schedule for Asia Cup

Meanwhile, following their match against UAE, India will be taking on arch-rivals Pakistan on September 14 before wrapping up their group stage with the clash against Oman on September 19. The Men in Blue are the most successful side in Asia Cup history with 8 titles under their belt so far and will be looking to add to their tally as they head into the tournament as the favourites.