India and UAE will kick off their respective 2025 Asia Cup campaign on Wednesday (September 10). The Men in Blue will enter the continental tournament as the defending champions.
Led by Rohit Sharma, India defeated Sri Lanka in the 2023 Asia Cup final to lift the trophy. This year, the tournament is being played in a T20I format. Suryakumar Yadav replaced Rohit as India’s T20I captain following his retirement from the game and will lead India in a multi-team tournament for the first time.
Suryakumar will be assisted by Shubman Gill. The India Test captain made his T20I return after a year. He hasn’t played the shortest format since July 2024 due to different reasons. Gill looks all but set to open the innings with Abhishek Sharma.
Jasprit Bumrah, who hasn’t played the T20I format since the 2024 World Cup final, is also back in the squad. The right-arm pacer was rested for the fifth Test against England.
Jitesh Sharma made his T20I comeback after a year. He was rewarded for his brilliant show in IPL 2025, where he donned the finisher’s hat for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). He could pip Sanju Samson for a place in the final XI.
Samson has performed well while opening the innings. With Gill returning to the squad, he is likely to reclaim his opening position. Hardik Pandya will have an important role to play and he could be India’s second pacer if the hosts decide to play more spinners.
India vs UAE toss time
The India vs UAE Asia Cup match will kick off at 8:00 PM IST. The toss for the all-important game will take place at 7:30 PM IST. After the UAE game, India will make their on-field return against Pakistan on September 14. The fixture will start at the same time.