Kuldeep Yadav spins a web as India crush UAE, break Asian record with 93 balls to spare

India produced a ruthless performance in Dubai, dismantling hosts UAE by nine wickets in their second Group A encounter of the Asia Cup. Kuldeep Yadav was the architect of the win, returning sensational figures of 4/7 that triggered a dramatic middle-order collapse. His spell now stands as the second-best bowling figures in T20 Asia Cup history.

UAE started well with a 26-run opening stand, but once Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy picked up early wickets, the slide began. Kuldeep Yadav ran through the middle order with four wickets, while Shivam Dube added three. UAE folded for just 57 in 17.4 overs, left exposed against India’s high-quality bowling attack.

Chasing a modest 58, India wasted no time. Abhishek Sharma continued his red-hot form with a 16-ball 30, peppering boundaries in the Powerplay, while Shubman Gill (20* off 9) looked fluent on his return to T20 cricket. India sealed victory in just 4.3 overs, winning with 93 balls to spare — the biggest margin by balls remaining in Asian T20I history. The record was previously held by Sri Lanka, who beat the Netherlands with 90 balls left in 2014.

Kuldeep Yadav, pleased with his rhythm, credited the backroom staff for his performance. "Thanks to Adrian (Le Roux) the trainer. Was working on my bowling and my fitness as well, everything is going perfectly. Tried to hit the right length and it matters a lot, reading the batters on what they are trying to do."

UAE coach Lalchand Rajput admitted his players struggled against India’s firepower. "The UAE batters were exposed to such high quality bowling for the first time and were overawed by the big names in the opposition camp," he said after the nine-wicket defeat.

This emphatic win gave India a crucial net run rate boost and set the stage for their high-voltage showdown against arch-rivals Pakistan. With bowling firepower and batting depth on display, the team looks primed for bigger challenges ahead.