The first match played by Team India in the Asia Cup 2025 kicked off with a bold statement as they blitzed the UAE in India vs UAE, held at Dubai International Stadium. Team India clinched its fastest T20 win ever, as the match ended in just 17.4 overs, clearly highlighting India’s dominance in the game.

UAE All Out at 57

UAE won the toss and decided to bat first, but the pitch wasn’t theirs for long. The innings collapsed at just 57, having the players all out in just 13.1 overs. All thanks to Kuldeep Yadav’s sensational return to T20Is, his bowling figures of 4 wickets for just 7 runs collapsed the middle order of the UAE. Bagging a hat-trick, with 3 wickets in just a single over, the last 8 wickets fell for just 10 runs in the last few overs of UAE’s innings.

Kuldeep’s wicket haul of 4-7 was the highlight of the game, and match-winning indeed, making him Player of the Match.

Shivam Dube’s support in taking 3 wickets for just 4 runs came through, while Bumrah, Axar Patel, and Varun Chakravarthy had one wicket each to their name.

Fastest Chase and Fastest T20I Complete Game

Chasing a modest score of just 58 runs, India made it look effortless:

• Team India chased the score in just 4.3 overs, making the run rate a whopping 12.88. This set a new record for the fastest successful chase in men’s T20I cricket.
• Opener Abhishek Sharma scored 30 off 16 balls, and vice-captain Shubhman Gill finished the innings unbeaten on 20 runs, with 9 wickets remaining. 

Summary of the Match

Final Thoughts

This wasn’t just a win; it was proof of India’s dominance in the game of cricket in the Asia Cup 2025. Kuldeep’s spell was a reminder of his X-factor, marking his strong return to the format, and the lightning-fast chase made the match super exciting. 

Being the defending champions of the title, India is all in it to grab the title for a second time!