UAE Captain Muhammad Waseem's "Won't Consider India Clash A Big Match" Statement Backfires
India registered a dominating nine-wicket victory over United Arab Emirates in their Asia Cup 2025 campaign opener at Dubai on Wednesday.
- India registered a dominant nine-wicket victory over UAE in their Asia Cup 2025 opener
- UAE captain Muhammad Waseem's pre-match statement resurfaced on social media after the result
- "Won't consider India clash a big match because all teams are good," the UAE skipper had said before the game
India registered a dominant nine-wicket victory over the United Arab Emirates in their Asia Cup 2025 campaign opener in Dubai on Wednesday. In the one-sided match, India captain Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and opted to bowl first. The side then bowled out hosts UAE for a meager total of 57 runs in 13.1 overs. Kuldeep Yadav was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 4 for 7. All-rounder Shivam Dube was also impressive, as he dismissed three UAE batters while conceding just 3 runs.
India made quick work of the chase when they came out to bat, as the team chased down the total in just 4.3 overs.
As the Suryakumar-led side won the match with 93 balls to spare, it registered an Asian record. They broke Sri Lanka's record for winning a T20I match with the most balls to spare by an Asian Full Member team. Sri Lanka held the previous record with 90 balls to spare against the Netherlands in 2014.
Soon after India's record-breaking victory, UAE captain Muhammad Waseem's pre-match statement surfaced on social media.
"We won't consider this (India clash) a big match because all teams are good, so all matches will be the same. But the hard work that we are doing, we will stick to our plan - what we have learnt and what we will do, we will go according to that. The result is up to the game... We play a lot of cricket here, you can say that India and Pakistan also play a lot here. But this is our home ground, so we will try our best to take advantage and play good cricket," Waseem had told ANI before the India game.
UAE Captain Muhammad Waseem Said :
— Richard Kettleborough (@RichKettle07) September 10, 2025
"We won't consider this a big match against India because all teams are good, so all matches will be the same. But the hard work that we are doing, we will stick to our plan".
- What's your take on this #INDvsUAE pic.twitter.com/sJqMhRXiFD
he is funny
— Aparna Shastri (@Aparnashastri13) September 10, 2025
Kuldeep baffled batters with his sharp googlies to dismiss UAE in 13.1 overs - the lowest-ever T20 total against India.
In the Group A game, India cruised to 60 for 1 quite easily with opening batter Abhishek Sharma (30) showing flashes of his skillful power-hitting and Shubman Gill scoring an unbeaten 20.
UAE batters had no answer for India's relentless bowling attack despite Jasprit Bumrah showing signs of rustiness in his first T20 game since the World Cup last year.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav believed his team was "flexible" when India won the toss and the skipper chose to field. India had lost the toss in 15 consecutive games.
Alishan Sharafu (22) and captain Muhammad Waseem (19) gave UAE a reasonable start of 41-2 in the powerplay before the batters crumbled against Kuldeep's sharp spin and Dube warmed up for more tougher games ahead in the tournament with a three-wicket haul.
Bumrah nailed Sharafu will his trademark smearing yorker in the second over and Mohammad Zohaib sliced a catch to backward point when he tried to play Varun Chakravarthy inside out.
Kuldeep's three-wicket over, that included a plumb leg before wicket dismissal of Waseem, rattled UAE middle-order before Dube claimed three wickets in his two overs and UAE folded with more than six overs to spare.
(With AP Inputs)
India Cricket Team
United Arab Emirates