IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2025: Gautam Gambhir Steps In as Boycott Chatter Unsettles Indian Players Before Pakistan Match, Reports (Image Credit - ANI/X@BCCI)
With the Asia Cup 2025 underway, India and the United Arab Emirates ( UAE ) are in the limelight of a match at Dubai International Stadium on Wednesday. India is the clear favourite on the paper but its coach Lalchand Rajput is bent on breaking the script and giving the Indian team a run.
Lalchand Rajput, who is the UAE coach and a former Indian test batsman, is no exception to high pressure cricket. He is looking forward to meeting his ex-student Gautam Gambhir who is the head coach of India as he prepares to take part in an interesting match. Rajput emphasised on the unpredictability of T20 cricket.
“India is a big team. They were the champions in the last World Cup. But it is a good opportunity to play against India. In T20s the team that plays better on the given day will win. A single batter or bowler can win you the game. We will play fearless cricket,” he told ANI.
India enters the Asia Cup without practicing any T20Is in recent days, after a series of big emphasis on a five-match Test series in England. Conversely, UAE got match practice in a recent tri-series three-match T20I between Pakistan and Afghanistan, but they lost all three matches. Nevertheless, the experience has made them harder.
The UAE team also has the best talents including the captain Muhammad Waseem and offensive batter Asif Khan. Rajput pointed out his contentment with the batting strength and the performance of spinners. However, he feels that the spinners have the potential to take on the India team which is a strong team.
“Our batting is strong, we have good spinners in our bowling unit. The players have experience of playing in the UAE. But we will see how they perform against a big team. Everybody wants to play against India. There will be nervousness, and I think our players are ready,” he added.
Although there is a nervous buzz about the UAE camp, Rajput is positive that field execution will be vital. He emphasized that confronting India is a challenge as well as an opportunity to his players to establish themselves.
Rajput declined to name one player when questioned to name the most important match-winner in India. Rather, he classified the whole Indian team as having match winning capability, referring to several players who can change the game.
“The entire Indian team is strong. Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Gill has returned, Abhishek and Tilak have scored centuries. The players they have are match-winners. It is hard to name one player,” Rajput explained.
The team of India headed by its captain, Surya Kumar Yadav and its vice-captain, Shubman Gill consists of both the experienced stars and the upcoming talent. They are more powerful in terms of depth, and this aspect will have to be countered by UAE through the tactical means.
Other than the cricket competition the match is personal to Lalchand Rajput. The confrontation with his former disciple Gautam Gambhir is an added feature to the match. Rajput is thrilled to reunite with Gambhir, who has been in a splendid form in the 2007 T20 world cup.
“He was the highest run-scorer in the 2007 T20 World Cup. I will meet him after many years. So there will be conversation, and I am definitely looking forward to meeting him,” Rajput remarked.
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