Left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav said understanding the mindset of opposition batters reaped rich dividends for him in India's opening match of the Asia Cup against the UAE in Dubai on Wednesday.
Felt like a final, Arshdeep was always my choice for Super Over: Surya
The just-concluded Asia Cup was deeply saturated with off-field drama. But even amidst the bedlam, there were sparks of brilliance, emergence of new stars and tears of failure.
India defeated a spirited Oman in their final Group A match by 21 runs with Rana and Arshdeep giving away plenty of runs while taking a wicket each at the back end of the game.
The report also indicated that Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal are unlikely to get a call-up to the T20I squad as the team management might not upset the team's core combination.
In a spectacular display of admiration and affection, Gujarat Titans celebrated their skipper Shubman Gill's birthday by lighting up Ahmedabad with a massive projection.
'Samson is most dangerous in the top three. That's where he wins you matches. He should be left there.'
This Asia Cup has charred the relationship between India and Pakistan players.
T20I skipper Suryakumar's hearing following PCB complaint done in presence of match-referee, board representatives: ICC sources
On Sunday, in the crucible of Dubai, it all comes down to a single question: Who will seize their moment and become a hero for a nation?
Hardik Pandya could become the first Indian and overall the third player in the history of T20 Internationals to achieve the double of 2000 runs and 100 wickets.
UAE captain Muhammad Waseem said they won't treat the opening match against T20 World champions India as a big game and will look to play normally.
The destructive Travis Head has called his Sunrisers Hyderabad opening partner Abhishek Sharma an exciting talent for Indian cricket after the duo combined to pummel the Lucknow Super Giants bowling attack in a record IPL chase in Hyderabad.
Am agreement was reached with PCB under which match referee Andy Pycroft will not be officiating matches involving Pakistan.
The Indian team refused to take the trophy from Asian Cricket Council chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the Pakistan Cricket Board chief and known for his vocal anti-India stand.
'He has been working hard on his bowling. This was a perfect game for him.'
The alarming part is in 10 innings, Suryakumar Yadav has managed only 10 fours and three sixes and dot ball percentage has gone up to nearly 48, translating to five dot balls in every delivery.
'If they have picked him ahead of Yashasvi Jaiswal, and as many felt, Sanju Samson, you can imagine how extremely privileged he is.'
Kuldeep Yadav's artistry was too much for a clueless UAE to comprehend as India hardly broke a sweat in an emphatic nine-wicket victory in their Asia Cup opener in Dubai on Wednesday.
Pakistan are currently in the second spot with two points, ahead of UAE (2 points) on net run rate.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav made optimal use of available resources in both departments as India did enough to beat a spirited Oman by 21 runs to end their league stage commitments in Asia Cup with a hat-trick of victories.
Against Bangladesh, Samson wasn't even considered good enough to come inside the top seven of the line-up and that begs a question as to what is he doing in the team if he isn't good enough to come ahead of Axar Patel.
Arshdeep Singh performing under pressure in the Super Over against Sri Lanka can be attributed to meditation and yoga that he practices regularly.
YIndia's batting unit includes Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson, who can all open the innings. Jaiswal will only be drafted in if one of them is ruled out due to injury. Similarly, Prasidh Krishna could only come into contention if there is an issue with Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, or Harshit Rana.
The Asia Cup 2025 had been simmering with tension from the very first India-Pakistan encounter, and by the time the final arrived, the animosity had reached boiling point.
Kuldeep Yadav has a good record in T20 Internationals with 69 wickets in 40 matches at an economy rate of 6.77, with a best of 5/17 against South Africa.
Gill's recall would mark his first T20I appearance since the Sri Lanka series in July 2024, right after the T20 World Cup, where he didn't feature.
Will Shubman Gill force either Sanju Samson or Tilak Varma out of the playing XI for the Asia Cup opening match against the UAE?
IMAGES of the Asia Cup Final played between India and Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday
Sanju Samson continues red-hot run in KCL with a quickfire 89.
Sanju Samson not batting enough at number five and six doesn't mean he can't do the job there, said India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak on Friday while expressing confidence in the Kerala dasher's ability ahead of the Asia Cup clash against Pakistan.
When the Indian team entered the ICC Cricket Academy Arena for their evening net session ahead of the Asia Cup, Samson was the first to start his solo keeping drills with fielding coach T Dilip, even as others were just about lumbering up.
Such is the race for breaking news that if an Indian player sneezes, a report may immediately go out stating he may have caught the flu bug and could be a doubtful starter!
Test captain Shubman Gill also doesn't fit in the Indian T20 line-up, which has a settled top three in Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and captain Suryakumar Yadav.
India skipper Suryakumar Yadav has lauded the energy and commitment of his teammates on the opening day of training ahead of the Asia Cup
Matthew Sandery, head curator at the Dubai international stadium, was spotted near Gautam Gambhir and Sitanshu Kotak, but did not ask them to keep away. Incidentally, the BCCI, being the hosts, can even suggest the kind of wicket they would need for the match.
Abhishek Sharma had gone about scoring runs meticulously and the game turned following his dismissal.
'When we started, our primary job was to get a job; cricket was secondary for us.'
Such has been the problem of plenty for selectors in the T20 format that they are finding it difficult to even accommodate Yashasvi Jaiswal -- a proven performer in T20 cricket.
For too long has Pakistan gotten away with running with the terrorists and hunting with the forces. This duplicity needs to end, asserts Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
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