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NEW DELHI: Kuldeep Yadav’s artistry was far too much for a hapless United Arab Emirates side to comprehend as India stormed to a thumping nine-wicket victory in their Asia Cup 2025 opener at the Dubai International Stadium on Wednesday. The defending champions hardly broke a sweat, skittling UAE for a mere 57 runs in 13.1 overs before chasing the target down in just 4.3 overs — their fastest-ever T20I win.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Abhishek Sharma blazed away with a 16-ball 30, while his opening partner and best friend Shubman Gill marked his return to T20 cricket with an unbeaten 20 off nine balls. Captain Suryakumar Yadav chipped in with a quick seven not out as India cruised to 60/1. As it happened: India vs UAEBut the foundation of the emphatic result came from India’s bowlers, led by Kuldeep’s magical spell of 4/7 and Shivam Dube’s career-best 3/4. From Bumrah’s toe-crusher to Kuldeep’s wizardry, UAE never recovered once early momentum slipped away.Kuldeep Yadav’s triple-wicket overThe decisive moment came when Kuldeep Yadav turned the game into a personal highlight reel. Introduced after Bumrah’s opening burst, the left-arm wrist-spinner dismantled UAE’s middle order in one sensational over, striking thrice. Rahul Chopra holed out at long-on, Harshit Kaushik was beaten all ends up by a googly, and skipper Muhammad Waseem fell lbw attempting a sweep. Kuldeep finished with 4/7, reminding everyone why he remains India’s most potent weapon in T20s.Shivam Dube’s breakthrough spellOften picked for his power-hitting, Shivam Dube showcased his growing bowling credentials by cleaning up the UAE tail. Bowling at the high 120s with clever changes of length, he returned remarkable figures of 3/4 in just two overs — his best in T20Is. With the T20 World Cup on the horizon, Dube’s seam-up spells add valuable balance to India’s line-up and will please head coach Gautam Gambhir.UAE bowled out for just 57Once Sharafu (22 off 17) and captain Muhammad Waseem (19 off 22) — their only two batters to reach double digits — fell, UAE had no answers. The spinners hunted in a pack, with Varun Chakravarthy (1/4) and Axar Patel (1/13) joining the party. Incredibly, UAE’s batters failed to score off 52 of the 81 legal deliveries bowled, collapsing for 57, their lowest total against India.Abhishek gives India a flying startChasing a modest target, Abhishek Sharma ensured India wasted no time. The left-hander cracked two fours and three sixes in a 16-ball 30, taking the pressure off Gill, who calmly flicked Simranjeet Singh for the winning four. India’s chase resembled a highlights package, sealing an utterly one-sided contest and setting the tone for their title defense.
