Varun Chakaravarthy strikes in his first over to dismiss Muhammad Zohaib for 2 in IND vs UAE Asia Cup 2025 match [Watch]

India’s young spinner Varun Chakaravarthy showcased his talent in the Asia Cup 2025 clash against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by picking up a crucial wicket in his very first over. The match took place on Wednesday, September 10, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

The breakthrough moment came on the fourth ball of the fifth over of the UAE innings. Chakaravarthy bowled a fuller delivery that caught Muhammad Zohaib off guard. Zohaib attempted to play across the line but ended up edging the ball to Kuldeep Yadav at backward point, who took a safe catch. This dismissal left UAE struggling at 29/2 after 4.4 overs, with Zohaib managing just two runs from five balls.

Captain Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and elected to bowl first. UAE opener Alishan Sharafu looked promising, scoring 22 runs off 16 deliveries before being cleaned up by Jasprit Bumrah with a yorker in the fourth over. In the next over, Chakaravarthy struck again, dismissing Zohaib for just two runs.

Despite the early setbacks, UAE captain Muhammad Waseem counterattacked in the sixth over, smashing three boundaries to keep the scoreboard ticking. By the end of the powerplay, UAE stood at 41/2, with Waseem on 16 and Rahul Chopra yet to open his account.

The playing XIs of both sides were as follows:
India: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy.
United Arab Emirates: 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.

The match promises to be an exciting contest between the two teams, with India looking to maintain their dominance and UAE aiming to bounce back from the early setbacks. Stay tuned for more updates on this thrilling Asia Cup encounter.