Asia Cup: After 16 games, India finally broke the unwanted record; Suryakumar Yadav in the center | Cricket news
For the first time in 16 internationals through formats, India has finally won a draw. Suryakumar Yadav called to the right to Dubai while India chose to play the first against the United Arab Emirates in their opening match of the 2025 Asian Cup. The sequence had become almost comical, India losing each draw during the Champions Trophy earlier this year, then continuing the trend in the five tests of the Anderson – Tendulkar series in England. The last time India had won a draw was in January under the captain of Suryakumar. The accent before the match, however, was less on the room and more on the team sheet. After days of speculation, Sanju Samson found his name in game XI. The inclusion of the Guichet-Gardien Batter had been a hot topic, especially after the return of Shubman Gill as vice-captain and the presence of Tilak Varma in number three raised doubts about the role of Samson. Many believed that Jitesh Sharma could pay it, in particular given the solid Jiteh finishing record for RCB in the IPL. But Samson has held its place, giving India additional solidity in the average order. What took the fans off guard is the exclusion of Arshdeep Singh. India has rather opted for Shivam Dube, strengthening its eight number with its versatile capacity. It is a decision that highlighted India’s intention to prioritize the depth and balance in relation to a pure rhythm option. 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 Sidddque, 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 Chakaravarty
