Dubai, Sep 8: UAE head coach Lalchand Rajput is relishing the prospect of facing his former pupil, India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir, as his side gears up for their Asia Cup T20 opener against the tournament favourites at the Dubai International Stadium on Wednesday.
Placed in Group A, the fixture appears heavily tilted in India’s favour on paper.
While India arrive after a grueling five-Test series in England with limited T20 action, the UAE have gained valuable match practice through a recent tri-series against Pakistan and Afghanistan, despite losing all their games.
Rajput, a former India Test batter, admitted the gulf between the two sides but believes the unpredictable nature of T20 cricket leaves room for surprises.
“India is a big team. They were the champions in the last World Cup.
But in T20s, the team that performs better on the day wins. A single batter or bowler can change the game. We will play fearless cricket,” he said.The UAE, returning to the Asia Cup after 2016, will bank on captain Muhammad Waseem, big-hitter Asif Khan, and a spin attack that Rajput feels could trouble India. “Our batting is strong, and we have good spinners.
The players have experience of playing in the UAE. There will be nervousness, but I think our players are ready,” he added.
Asked to identify India’s biggest threat, Rajput said the entire squad is packed with “match-winners”, citing the likes of Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma.
For Rajput, the occasion is also personal, as he prepares to reunite with Gambhir after many years. “He was the highest run-scorer in the 2007 T20 World Cup. I will meet him after a long time, and I am definitely looking forward to it,” Rajput said.
Squads: UAE: Muhammad Waseem (capt), Alishan Sharafu, Aryansh Sharma (wk), Asif Khan, Dhruv Parashar, Ethan D’Souza, Haider Ali, Harshit Kaushik, Junaid Siddique, Matiullah Khan, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Zohaib, Rahul Chopra (wk), Rohid Khan, Simranjeet Singh, Saghir Khan. (Agencies)
Asia Cup 2025 matches
Date Match Group/Stage Time Venue
September 9 Afghanistan vs Hong Kong Group B 8:00 PM Abu Dhabi
September 10 India vs UAE Group A 8:00 PM Dubai
September 11 Bangladesh vs Hong Kong Group B 8:00 PM Abu Dhabi
September 12 Pakistan vs Oman Group A 8:00 PM Dubai
September 13 Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka Group B 8:00 PM Abu Dhabi
September 14 India vs Pakistan Group A 8:00 PM Dubai
September 15 UAE vs Oman Group A 5:30 PM Abu Dhabi
September 15 Sri Lanka vs Hong Kong Group B 8:00 PM Dubai
September 16 Bangladesh vs Afghanistan Group B 8:00 PM Abu Dhabi
September 17 Pakistan vs UAE Group A 8:00 PM Dubai
September 18 Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Group B 8:00 PM Abu Dhabi
September 19 India vs Oman Group A 8:00 PM Abu Dhabi
September 20 Group B Qualifier 1 vs Group B Qualifier 2 Super 4 8:00 PM Dubai
September 21 Group A Qualifier 1 vs Group A Qualifier 2 Super 4 8:00 PM Dubai
September 23 Group A Qualifier 1 vs Group B Qualifier 2 Super 4 8:00 PM Abu Dhabi
September 24 Group B Qualifier 1 vs Group A Qualifier 2 Super 4 8:00 PM Dubai
September 25 Group A Qualifier 2 vs Group B Qualifier 2 Super 4 8:00 PM Dubai
September 26 Group A Qualifier 1 vs Group B Qualifier 1 Super 4 8:00 PM Dubai
September 28 Final 8:00 PM Dubai