Asia Cup 2025: Predicting India's playing XI vs UAE, Match 2

On September 10, India will take on the United Arab Emirates in their Asia Cup 2025 first match. The same group includes Oman and Pakistan as well. This is the probable starting lineup for the opening game.

Advertisment

Abhishek Sharma, who is renowned for his quick scoring, will start the innings. In the early overs, he is likely to play attacking shots. After being chosen as vice-captain, Shubman Gill is viewed as India's primary starting batsman and is required to maintain consistency and hold the innings together on the difficult UAE surfaces.

Tilak Varma will grab the number three spot. The young left-hander's poise and power-hitting abilities have always been strong in the shorter formats. The No. 4 position, where he can practise his 360-degree swing, is probably where captain Suryakumar Yadav will play.

All-rounder Hardik Pandya, who adds depth to bowling and batting, ought to follow Sky. With Axar Patel in the mix, India will have a variety of bowling options without losing their batting ability. It is anticipated that Jitesh Sharma will be the assigned wicketkeeper.

There seems to be a toss-up in India's bowling unit. Arshdeep Singh will join Jasprit Bumrah, who leads the pace attack, to form one of the most potent pacer combinations in T20Is right now.

India would prefer to play Varun in addition to Kuldeep in the UAE, where spin tends to rule the game. Suryakumar has multiple options thanks to Axar Patel's left-arm spin, which adds another spice to the Indian bowling approach.

But maintaining three spinners could lengthen the tail, which Gambhir's empire has not liked. Keeping in mind the slow and turning wickets of the UAE, it might be the choice they make. 

Advertisment

The question of whether Bumrah should be included in the starting lineup for the match against the UAE due to his workload management has generated a lot of discussion. But given that he has had a good three weeks off following the England series, India may wish to unleash their most potent T20I weapon.

Here’s a possible India lineup for their Asia Cup 2025 opener against the UAE:

Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill (vc), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh.

Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at Sky247 India and download the Sky247 app to start betting today!