Last Updated on 4 weeks by Charbel Coorey

The 2nd match of the 2025 Asia Cup sees tournament favourites India looking to flex their might against UAE. The hosts showed promise in the recent tri-series, most notably pushing Afghanistan all the way a few days ago in Sharjah. They ultimately fell short, but the learnings can hold them in good stead.

However, it gets no tougher than India. Suryakumar Yadav’s team is the best in the world in this format, with even quality talent like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer unable to find a spot in the squad. Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma present an excellent opening combination that can complement each other well, followed by a powerpacked middle order.

For the UAE batters, they face a huge task in overcoming an Indian attack spearheaded by Jasprit Bumrah and supported by outstanding spinners. Alishan Sharafu, Asif Khan and skipper Muhammad Waseem have a lot of the lifting to do.

The latter is very confident, telling ESPNcricinfo that “we [UAE] can beat anyone in this format. It comes down to what kind of cricket we play on the day, and whether we apply ourselves the way we’ve planned it. We can absolutely inflict an upset on one of India or Pakistan. We could beat Oman and we’ll target one of these two and eye a run to the Super Four.”

Such a result would be an unbelievable achievement. It is far-fetched given India and Pakistan are the heavy favourites to get out of Group A, but the first step is belief.

Asia Cup 2025 2nd Match: IND vs UAE Possible Playing XIs

The big questions for India is whether Sanju Samson plays plus who occupies the number eight spot. If Samson plays, he could slot in at five ahead of Jitesh Sharma. However, Jitesh showed promising signs in IPL 2025, hitting 261 runs for title-winning RCB at an average of 37.3 and strike rate of 176.4.

India: 1. Abhishek Sharma, 2. Shubman Gill, 3. Tilak Varma, 4. Suryakumar Yadav (c), 5. Jitesh Sharma/Sanju Samson (wk), 6. Hardik Pandya, 7. Axar Patel, 8. Harshit Rana, 9. Kuldeep Yadav, 10. Jasprit Bumrah, 11. Varun Chakravarthy

UAE are likely to open with Alishan Sharafu, as was the case in the recent tri-series. The likes of Muhammad Rohid, Haider Ali, and Junaid Siddique have key roles in the bowling attack.

UAE: 1. Muhammad Waseem (c), 2. Alishan Sharafu, 3. Rahul Chopra (wk), 4. Asif Khan, 5. Muhammad Farooq, 6. Harshit Kaushik, 7. Muhammad Zohaib, 8. Muhammad Jawadullah/Saghir Khan, 9. Haider Ali, 10. Junaid Siddique, 11. Muhammad Rohid

Dubai International Stadium Pitch Report and Weather

According to ESPNcricinfo, the pitches in Dubai are likely to be more pace-friendly than the 2025 Champions Trophy where India played four spinners.

In the ILT20 earlier this year, the chasing team won 11 of 15 matches. Expect the captain who wins the toss here to chase. A very hot and clear evening is forecast.

Fantasy Cricket Tips for IND vs UAE: Top Picks/Key Players to Watch

Top wicket-keeper picks:

• It’s safer to pick an Indian wicket-keeper if they bat first. If India are required to chase, it is unlikely the keeper-batsman will get a decent opportunity to bat.
• Rahul Chopra missed out in his last two T20Is but has a 35-ball 52* recently against Afghanistan.

Key batter picks:

• Abhishek Sharma has smashed 535 runs in 16 T20Is since the 2024 T20 World Cup. He is averaging 33.43 with a strike rate of 193.84 in this period. When he crosses 20, he then strikes at 201.
• Shubman Gill is a prolific run-scorer across all formats. Since 2022, Gill has scored 2,249 runs in the IPL at a strike rate of 149.79. If he gets to bat in the second-half of the innings, he can go really big as he strikes at 176.7 between overs 10 and 20 in the IPL in the past three seasons.
• Suryakumar Yadav has struck 16 consecutive 20+ scores in T20s, which is a record.

Top all-rounder picks:

• Hardik Pandya can challenge UAE with his hit-the-deck style bowling, especially as the third seamer. Also, Hardik can finish very strongly with the bat, especially if India set a score.

Top bowler picks:

• Jasprit Bumrah is a genuine c/vc option in your Dream11 teams. The champion fast bowler will test UAE upfront and at the backend of the innings.
• Varun Chakravarthy was outstanding at Dubai in the 2025 Champions Trophy earlier this year. Whether this surface will have as much spin remains to be seen, but his control and accuracy makes him an attractive fantasy pick.
• Kuldeep Yadav can test UAE with his variations in pace and off the surface. He can find plenty of joy especially if the fast bowlers make early inroads.

Other Players to Consider for your Fantasy Cricket Teams

• Muhammad Waseem has a huge task on his hands in dealing with India’s fast bowlers up front. However, Waseem is UAE’s most experienced player and is coming off 163 runs at 40.75 with a strike rate of 158.25 in the recent tri-series.
• Haider Ali was UAE’s highest wicket-taker in the recent tri-series (6) at an average of 16.66 and economy of 6.25.
• Tilak Varma is an excitement machine with two T20I centuries already to his name.
• Harshit Rana is a wicket-taker and can test the UAE batsmen with his pace.
• Saghir Khan is a solid pick among the UAE team. He took five wickets in two matches in the recent tri-series.

Asia Cup 2025 2nd Match: IND vs UAE Dream11 Prediction

Note: The below teams are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these in time. Use the stats and commentary in this article, as well as your own instincts, to create your teams. 

Option 1:

Option 2:

Asia Cup 2025 2nd Match: IND vs UAE Match Prediction – Who will win?

India to win comfortably.

Disclaimer: The fantasy cricket stats, tips and predictions provided on CricBlog are intended for informational purposes, with the stats and writer’s views in place to guide fans in creating their teams. While we strive to offer accurate and insightful advice, CricBlog does not guarantee success or winnings in any fantasy contests. Users are encouraged to make their own informed decisions and play responsibly.