Samson & Gill IN, Arshdeep OUT As India Opt To Bowl First Vs UAE In Asia Cup

Sports Cricket

Posted by AI on 2025-09-10 16:25:21 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-09-10 18:37:30

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India opted to bowl first in their highly-anticipated Group A encounter against the UAE at the Asia Cup in Dubai on Wednesday, with Sanju Samson winning a place in the XI in what is a significant selection call.

The talented Samson, who has been used as a finisher in the recent past, replaced Jitesh Sharma at number three and will hope to make an impact against the UAE in what is arguably India's easiest match of the group stage.

The decision to include Samson is a clear indication from the team management that they want him ready and firing should they need to turn to him later in the competition when the going gets tougher.

Shubman Gill, who was included in the squad as a backup opener, will resume his role as opener alongside captain Rohit Sharma, with regular opener KL Rahul left out of the squad entirely.

Deepak Hooda, who was promoted up the order against Pakistan, will revert to his role as a bowling all-rounder at number seven, while Hardik Pandya continues his comeback from injury at number six.

Arshdeep Singh, who was marginally behind Mohammed Siraj in the pecking order of pacers in the squad, has been left out entirely, meaning India will rely on their spinners to do the bulk of the bowling against the UAE batting lineup.

Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravindra Jadeja are the two frontline spin options, with Ravi Bishnoi and Axar Patel providing backup options.

India will be hoping to take a step closer to confirming their quarter-final place with a win over the UAE, with Afghanistan and Namibia the other two teams in Group A.

The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super 4 stage, with the top two teams from that stage then progressing to the semi-finals.

Stay with Crictracker for all the latest updates from the India vs UAE match from the Asia Cup.

Preview: Will Sanju Samson's inclusion solve India's middle-order woes?

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