Last Updated:
Former Pakistan pacer Akram was full of praise for Gill, who produced a tremendous shot off Muhammad Rohid Khan in the second over of the chase to send the ball over the ropes.
Team India registered a historic triumph over the UAE in the Asia Cup 2025 opener on Wednesday as the Indian outfit bowled out the minnows for just 57 runs before completing the chase in 4.3 overs with 9 wickets to spare.
Former Pakistan pacer Wasim Akram was full of praise for India batter Shubman Gill, who remained unbeaten on 20 runs off 9 deliveries, with the stylish batter producing a tremendous six off Muhammad Rohid Khan in the second over of the chase.
Gill walked down the ground before picking up the delivery targeted at the stumps as the Indian batter used his wrist incredibly well to send a projectile into the stands beyond fine leg.
“Look at that shot, look at that shot, unbelievable into the stands,” an excited Akram said.
“Just a flick of the wrist, unbelievable shot,”
Abhishek Sharma top-scored with 30 runs off 16 deliveries, before Gill and skipper Suryakumar Yadav closed the game out unbeaten on 20 and 7 runs respectively.
Kuldeep Yadav and Shivam Dube starred with a four-fer and a three-wicket haul to bundle out the side from the Emirates to the low total.
Kuldeep’s exceptional bowling skills proved too much for the UAE batters, as he finished with impressive figures of 4 for 7 in 2.1 overs.
Jasprit Bumrah (1/19 in 3 overs) initiated the collapse with a perfect yorker, dismissing Kerala-born Alishan Sharafu (22 off 17 balls), who had earlier shown resilience with three boundaries and a six.
Once Bumrah delivered the perfect yorker to Sharafu’s boots, UAE’s promising start quickly turned disastrous, with batters hastily returning to the dugout.
The trio of spinners—Kuldeep, Varun Chakravarthy (1/4 in 2 overs), and Axar Patel (1/13 in 3 overs)—posed a significant challenge for the UAE players, who are not accustomed to facing such bowlers. Shivam Dube (3/4 in 2 overs), whose bowling will be crucial for India heading into the T20 World Cup, achieved career-best figures, efficiently wrapping up the tail.
Rahul Chopra attempted to hit his way out of trouble against Kuldeep but was caught at long-on, while left-handed Harshit Kaushik struggled to tackle his googly.
Skipper Muhammad Waseem (19 off 22 balls) found it difficult to score and when he tried to sweep Kuldeep, the ball bounced a bit extra.
Overall, the Indian bowlers delivered 81 balls—13.1 overs plus two wides—and the UAE batters failed to score off 52 deliveries.
The bowling strategies laid out by Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav were executed perfectly, with the Dubai pitch aiding the spinners. This trio is expected to pose significant trouble for other teams as well.
India’s batting performance resembled a highlight reel and a glorified practice session, as the UAE bowlers struggled to find the right areas to pitch the ball.
An ironic twist saw left-arm spinner Simranjeet Singh, who had bowled to Shubman in his early teens, being hit for the winning runs by the Indian vice-captain.
United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Read More
The post‘Just A Flick Of…’: Shubman Gill’s Maximum In IND’s Record Win Over UAE Sends Wasim Akram Into Frenzy | Cricket News appeared first on News18