'We will not take it as a big match,' says Waseem ahead of India clash

DUBAI: UAE captain Muhammad Waseem expressed confidence as his team prepares to begin their Asia Cup 2025 campaign against defending champions India on Wednesday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

In a recent interview, Waseem emphasised that the team’s focus will be on executing their plans rather than being intimidated by India’s reputation.

“We will not treat it as a big match because all the teams are strong, so every game will be equally challenging. We are working hard in the heat and will stick to our plans. Whatever we have learned and whatever needs to be done on the day, we will do it. The result depends on the game,” Waseem said.

The right-handed batter also revealed that the team has not singled out any individual Indian bowler.

Instead, they have devised strategies for six to seven batters across India’s lineup, respecting key wicket-takers while planning to attack others.

“No, we have not made individual plans for any particular player. We have prepared strategies for several batters in their team. We will play cautiously against their main wicket-taker and be aggressive where possible. Depending on the situation, spinners may have a bigger role,” he stated.

The 29-year-old captain further highlighted the team’s familiarity with the conditions and confidence in their home advantage.

“We play a lot of cricket here. India and Pakistan also play regularly here, but it is our home ground. We will try our best to use it to our advantage and play good cricket,” he concluded.

It is pertinent to mention that India and UAE have met only once before in T20I cricket, with India securing a nine-wicket victory during the 2016 Asia Cup in Mirpur.

UAE: Muhammad Waseem (captain), Alishan Sharafu, Aryansh Sharma (wicketkeeper), Asif Khan, Dhruv Parashar, Ethan D’Souza, Haider Ali, Harshit Kaushik, Junaid Siddique, Matiullah Khan, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Zohaib, Rahul Chopra (wicketkeeper), Rohid Khan, Simranjeet Singh, Saghir Khan.

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