India captain Suryakumar Yadav has voiced his keenness for the much-anticipated ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 showdown against Pakistan, set to take place at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
The former champions opened their campaign in emphatic style, thrashing hosts United Arab Emirates (UAE) in their tournament opener.
Opting to field first, India’s bowlers dismantled the UAE batting order for just 57 runs in 13.1 overs. Left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav starred with a four-wicket haul, spearheading the dominant performance.
In response, India comfortably chased down the 58-run target for the loss of just one wicket and 93 balls to spare.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Yadav explained that he opted to bowl first to analyse how the pitch would react in the second innings before expressing his satisfaction with the team’s performance.
“Wanted to see how the wicket was playing. It was the same in the second innings. Clinical performance from the boys, we wanted good attitude and energy on the field and that’s what we got,” Yadav stated.
The right-handed batter further shared that the players were aware of the conditions here, citing their recent visit for the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 before showering praise on Kuldeep.
“Recently, a lot of the boys were here for the Champions Trophy, the wicket looked good, but it was on the slower side, and the spinners have a role. Here it is very hot right now, and Kuldeep did well, got good support from Hardik, Dube and Bumrah,” the Indian captain continued.
Yadav then went on to laud top-ranked T20I batter Abhishek Sharma for setting the ‘tone’ for chasing down the total in just 4.3 overs before sharing his anticipation for the blockbuster contest against Pakistan.
“He is currently the World number one batter for a reason; he sets the tone, irrespective of if we chase 200 or 50, unbelievable from him. Everyone is excited for the game against Pakistan.”
