In a moment of palpable relief for the Indian cricket team and its fans, Suryakumar Yadav, leading the side in the Asia Cup 2025, ended a prolonged 15-match toss-losing streak. The toss took place at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium before India's opening match against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday, September 10, 2025.
India's misfortune with the coin had become a talking point in recent months, with the team failing to call correctly in 15 consecutive international matches across all formats. This included the entire Champions Trophy 2025, the Test series in England, and several white-ball series. The last time India had won a toss was on January 28, 2025, in a T20I against England.
Suryakumar Yadav's victory at the toss was met with elation. After winning the toss, Yadav opted to field first, citing the fresh wicket and the potential for dew later in the evening. This decision proved fruitful, as the Indian bowlers dismantled the UAE batting lineup for a mere 57 runs in 13.1 overs. Kuldeep Yadav spearheaded the attack with a remarkable spell of 4/7, while Shivam Dube contributed with 3/4. India then chased down the target in just 4.3 overs, securing a dominant nine-wicket victory.
The match also featured a moment of sportsmanship from Suryakumar Yadav. In the 13th over, Shivam Dube bowled a short ball to Junaid Siddique, but a towel fell from Dube's waist as he delivered the ball, which seemed to distract the batter. Siddique missed the ball and was caught out of his crease when Sanju Samson, the Indian wicket-keeper, made a direct hit. Although the replay showed Siddique was short of his ground, Yadav withdrew the appeal, acknowledging the distraction caused by the towel.
India's playing XI included Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, and Varun Chakaravarthy. The UAE's XI featured Muhammad Waseem (c), Alishan Sharafu, Muhammad Zohaib, Rahul Chopra (wk), Asif Khan, Harshit Kaushik, Haider Ali, Dhruv Parashar, Muhammad Rohid Khan, Junaid Siddique, and Simranjeet Singh.
With this victory, India has made a strong start to their Asia Cup 2025 campaign. They will face Pakistan on Sunday, September 14, at the same venue.
