IND vs UAE: Bumrah-Pandya's Blockade and Rohit Sharma's 26-Minute Knock Made India's First Asia Cup Clash Memorable

Team India begins its Asia Cup 2025 campaign against the UAE. Interestingly, this is not the first time both teams are facing each other in the tournament. Their first clash dates back to 2016, when the Asia Cup was played in the T20 format. That contest ended with India registering a 9-wicket win, thanks to the bowlers’ stranglehold and Rohit Sharma’s quick-fire knock.

Bumrah and Pandya’s Tight Bowling
In that 2016 encounter, India’s bowling attack suffocated the UAE batters.

• Jasprit Bumrah bowled 14 dot balls in his 4-over spell, conceding very few runs and picking up 1 wicket.

• Hardik Pandya was equally effective, bowling 13 dot balls in his 3 overs while giving away just 11 runs and taking 1 wicket.

• Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the star performer, finishing with figures of 2 wickets for just 8 runs in 4 overs, including 20 dot balls.

• Harbhajan Singh also kept the pressure on, bowling 16 dot balls in his 4 overs and picking up 1 wicket.

As a result of this collective effort, UAE’s innings never got going. They were restricted to just 81/9 in 20 overs.

Rohit Sharma Turns Hero in Just 26 Minutes
Chasing a modest target of 82, India’s openers gave a solid start. Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan added 43 runs for the first wicket. Rohit, in particular, was aggressive, scoring 39 runs in just 26 minutes at the crease. His dismissal broke the opening stand, but by then, the match was almost sealed.

Yuvraj Singh then finished the job in style, smashing 25 off 14 balls*, ensuring India crossed the line quickly.

India’s Comfortable Victory Under Dhoni
Under the captaincy of MS Dhoni, India chased down the target in 10.1 overs, winning by 9 wickets. Rohit Sharma was named Player of the Match for his impactful 39-run innings that set up the victory.