Asia Cup 2025, India vs UAE: All you need to know before India's campaign opener game in Dubai

India will begin their Asia Cup 2025 campaign against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday (Sep 10) at the Dubai International stadium. This game might look like a one-sided affair for India on paper, but in cricket, surprises are always possible. We have already seen major upsets in the past, especially in T20I cricket, like Pakistan losing to the USA and Zimbabwe in the T20 World Cups.

Weather forecast

As for the weather, the forecast for match day is clear and dry, which is great news for fans. According to reports, the temperature at the start of the match (8:00 PM IST) will be around 35°C, with humidity close to 65%. These conditions can be physically demanding for the players, but no rain is expected, so the match should go ahead without any interruptions.

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Past encounter between India and UAE

So far, India and the UAE have played only one T20I match. That game was in the 2016 Asia Cup in Mirpur, Bangladesh. India won it comfortably by nine wickets, which is still the biggest win margin between the two teams.

Also read | Top 5 highest individual scores in Asia Cup T20I – Babar ranks second, but not from Pakistan

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In that match, the UAE batted first and scored 81 runs for nine wickets in 20 overs. India chased the target in just 10.1 overs, scoring 82 while losing only one wicket

Top performers in that Match

Shaiman Anwar from the UAE was the top run getter and played a good knock, scoring 43 runs. For India, Rohit Sharma made 39 runs, while Yuvraj Singh was unbeaten on 25. On the bowling side, Bhuvneshwar Kumar took two wickets for just eight runs in his four overs. Harbhajan Singh, Hardik Pandya, Yuvraj Singh, and others also bowled well and picked up one wicket each.

India – Defending Champions With New Faces

India comes into this Asia Cup as the defending champions. They have already won the title eight times, the most by any team in the tournament’s history.

But this year, things are a bit different. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, the experienced campaigners, are not part of the squad. India still has a strong squad and is one of the favourites to win the cup again. The match against the UAE will be a good chance to start with a win and build momentum in the continental tournament.

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