India, the previous champion, started the Asia Cup 2025 with a bang. They defeated the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by 9 wickets, with 93 balls remaining. The Indian bowlers performed exceptionally well in the match, restricting UAE to a mere 57 runs. Kuldeep Yadav, the veteran spinner for India, dismantled the UAE batting lineup by taking 3 wickets in a single over. Pakistan’s former captain, Wasim Akram, praised Yadav’s performance, describing the UAE team as a school team. Former Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja expressed concerns about the future of the Asia Cup, given UAE’s performance.
In the 9th over of the UAE innings, Kuldeep Yadav took three wickets, playing a crucial role in limiting UAE to only 57 runs. The UAE team was all out for 57 runs in 13.1 overs in their match against India. Kuldeep Yadav conceded only 7 runs in 2.1 overs while taking three wickets. Wasim Akram, the former Pakistani cricketer, highly appreciated Kuldeep’s performance.
During commentary on Sony Sports, Akram said, “What talent! He understands this short format very well and is bowling accordingly. Kuldeep is bringing variation in his bowling, which the batsmen are unable to comprehend.” Wasim Akram further added that Kuldeep was bowling against UAE as if he was playing against a school team. During the same time, former Indian player Ajay Jadeja made a significant statement about the Asia Cup.
Ajay Jadeja, while commentating on Sony Sports, criticized UAE’s performance. He stated that if weaker teams continue to perform poorly, the future of the Asia Cup would be in jeopardy. He believes that the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) organizers need to consider whether they want to continue including these weaker teams in the Asia Cup or only feature teams that are genuinely performing well in cricket.
Jadeja noted that the poor performance of weaker teams is gradually diminishing the excitement of the Asia Cup, and the ACC needs to address this issue. India’s dominant 9-wicket victory in the opening match against UAE marked a strong start to the tournament.