India showed her strength in Dubai with a crushed victory of nine goals over the hosts of the United Arab Emirates in her opening match Asia Cup 2025 on Wednesday. The UAE was tilted in just 57 at 13.1 overs before India chased the target for only 4.3.
After the game, Chief coach Sae Lalchand Rajput admitted that his players were amazed at the opportunity and names of the star on the Indian side.
“It wasn’t really a turning track, it was a good goal to burst,” Rajput said. “But the skill they have, especially the wrist wrist, means that they can turn the ball to any surface. For our doughs it was the first time they played against such quality, and were excessively developed by the big names of India.
Indian spinners were a difference. Kuldeep Yadav produced brilliant charm 4 for 10, while Shivam Dube disintegrated with 3 for 4. Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel and Jasprit Bumrah also raised goals when Indian pitching created light work of SAE launches.
“World champions will always crush teams,” Rajput added. “It was okay until PowerPlay, but as soon as they turned on, everything changed. There was not much turn, but with Kuldeep and Varun they considered it to be top players.”
Rajtut also pointed out how the presence of Indian star names affected his players. “This Indian team is full of stars – SHUBMAN GILL, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, the list continues. These are players that follow the world. Our boys often don’t have a chance to play against them, so they naturally felt pressure.”
Yet the coach stressed that such matches are vital to the development of his team. He reminded everyone that SAE recently defeated Bangladesh in the T20i series and pushed Afghanistan.
“That’s all part of the journey,” he said. “The more our players face these kinds of pitching, the more confidence they gain. Playing against India will only help them grow. We take lessons and move forward.”
For Rajput and his team was a loss heavy, but experience may prove to be priceless as UAEs continue to pressure Compete with larger nations.
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Published:
Amar Pancker
Published on:
September 11, 2025
Tune
