नवीनतम
Asia Cup: India's campaign kicks off today vs UAE
NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Suryakumar Yadav-led India will be keen to start their Asia Cup 2025 campaign on a winning note as they face minnows United Arab Emirates in a league stage clash at the Dubai International Stadium here this evening.
India would be looking to dominate from the word go when they take the field. If invited to bat, they would be keen to pile up runs and put pressure on opposition bowlers, and if the Men in Blue bowl, they would be keen to bundle out the opposition for a meagre score.
As stated by the team management, this Asia Cup starts the journey for the next year's T20 World Cup. The Gautam Gambhir-led side will be looking to get its combination right in the very first game in the tournament, and before they face arch-rivals Pakistan in a marquee clash.
Pressure will be on skipper Suryakumar after Shubman Gill was made the Vice-Captain of the team. Knowing Surya, if he fires on all cylinders, it will be a nightmare for an inexperienced UAE attack.
On the eve of the game, Suryakumar did not want to take the UAE lightly. "They are playing an exciting brand of cricket and came close in some of the games in a (recent) tri-series. Hope they cross the line in the Asia Cup," he said.
UAE skipper Muhammad Waseem seemed confident to take on India, who are favourites to lift the Cup and are also defending champions. "We have been doing that preparation from the last couple of months to play such a great event. I am very confident that we are ready to accept this challenge," Waseem said.
It also looks like Jitesh Sharma will be drafted into the playing XI for India and he would perform the role of the wicket-keeper. UAE are coached by former India batter and domestic bulwark Lalchand Rajput. After the game, there will be plenty of things to learn for the UAE players.
India and Pakistan are scheduled to face each other on the 14th of this month. Played alternately in ODI and T20I formats, the tournament is being held in the T20 format this time. Originally, the contest was set to take place in India, but due to tense political relations with Pakistan, it is being held at a neutral venue.
Yesterday, In the opening match of the Asia Cup cricket tournament, Afghanistan registered a massive 94-run victory over Hong Kong in Abu Dhabi last night.
Opting to bat first, Afghanistan posted 188 for 6 in their allotted 20 overs, thanks to a 73-run knock by Sediqullah Atal and a 20-ball half-century by Azmatullah Omarzai. It is now the fastest T20I fifty by any Afghanistan player.
In reply, Hong Kong managed only 94 runs for 9 wickets in their 20 overs, with Babar Hayat top-scoring with 39 runs.
This was the Group B opener, which also includes Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The top two teams from the group will advance to the Super Four stage.
