For the first time in 16 internationals across formats, India have finally won a toss. Suryakumar Yadav called right in Dubai as India chose to bowl first against the United Arab Emirates in their Asia Cup 2025 opener. The streak had become almost comical, with India losing every toss during the Champions Trophy earlier this year and then continuing the trend across all five Tests in the Anderson–Tendulkar series in England. The last time India had won a toss was back in January under Suryakumar’s captaincy.
The focus before the game, however, was less on the coin and more on the team sheet. After days of speculation, Sanju Samson found his name in the playing XI. The wicketkeeper-batter’s inclusion had been a hot topic, especially after Shubman Gill’s return as vice-captain and Tilak Varma’s presence at number three raised doubts about Samson’s role. Many believed Jitesh Sharma might edge him out, particularly given Jitesh’s strong finishing record for RCB in the IPL. But Samson has held his place, giving India extra solidity in the middle order. What caught fans off guard was Arshdeep Singh’s exclusion. India opted instead for Shivam Dube, strengthening their batting up to number eight with his all-round ability. It was a move that underlined India’s intent to prioritise depth and balance over a pure pace 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 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
