Asia Cup: After 16 video games, India finally break unwanted file; Suryakumar Yadav at centre | Cricket News

UAE captain Muhammad Waseem and India captain Suryakumar Yadav (X-BCCI)

For the primary time in 16 internationals throughout codecs, India have finally gained a toss. Suryakumar Yadav referred to as proper in Dubai as India selected to bowl first in opposition to the United Arab Emirates of their Asia Cup 2025 opener. The streak had change into virtually comical, with India dropping each toss in the course of the Champions Trophy earlier this yr after which persevering with the development throughout all 5 Tests within the Anderson–Tendulkar collection in England. The final time India had gained a toss was again in January below Suryakumar’s captaincy. The focus earlier than the sport, nevertheless, was much less on the coin and extra on the group sheet. After days of hypothesis, Sanju Samson discovered his identify within the taking part in XI. The wicketkeeper-batter’s inclusion had been a sizzling matter, particularly after Shubman Gill’s return as vice-captain and Tilak Varma’s presence at quantity three raised doubts about Samson’s function. Many believed Jitesh Sharma would possibly edge him out, notably given Jitesh’s sturdy ending file for RCB within the IPL. But Samson has held his place, giving India additional solidity within the center order.(*16*) What caught followers off guard was Arshdeep Singh’s exclusion. India opted as a substitute for Shivam Dube, strengthening their batting as much as quantity eight together with his all-round capability. It was a transfer that underlined India’s intent to prioritise depth and steadiness over a pure tempo choice. Teams: United Arab Emirates (Playing XI): Muhammad Waseem (c), Alishan Sharafu, Muhammad Zohaib, Rahul Chopra (wk), Asif Khan, Harshit Kaushik, Haider Ali, Dhruv Parashar, Muhammad Rohid Khan, Junaid Siddique, Simranjeet Singh India (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy