Asia Cup Opener: Suryakumar Yadav's Toss Mix-Up Causes Lighthearted Confusion Ahead of India-UAE Clash

The Asia Cup 2025 got off to a rather unusual start in Dubai on Wednesday as a mix-up at the toss involving India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav briefly stole the spotlight.Having won the toss, Suryakumar announced that India would bowl first. However, instead of immediately informing UAE skipper Muhammad Waseem, he turned to toss presenter Sanjay Manjrekar and began explaining his reasoning. The lapse left Waseem unsure of India’s decision, prompting him to walk over mid-conversation and directly ask SKY what he had chosen.The lighthearted confusion drew smiles but also highlighted the nerves of a big tournament opener.India eventually confirmed they would field first on a surface described as fresh and slightly unpredictable. With a 62-meter short boundary on one side and 75 meters on the other, the pitch offered both opportunities for aggressive batting and challenges for bowlers, especially with some bare patches alongside the green covering.The playing XIs revealed some intrigue as well. For India, Sanju Samson took the wicketkeeping gloves despite earlier expectations of Jitesh Sharma, with Shubman Gill installed as vice-captain. The final lineup featured Abhishek Sharma, Gill, Suryakumar, Tilak Varma, Samson, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, and Varun Chakravarthy.UAE, meanwhile, named a balanced side under Waseem’s leadership. Their XI included Alishan Sharafu, Muhammad Zohaib, Rahul Chopra (wk), Asif Khan, Harshit Kaushik, Haider Ali, Dhruv Parashar, Muhammad Rohid Khan, Junaid Siddique, and Simranjeet Singh.Speaking after the toss, Waseem admitted he too would have preferred to bowl first: “Pitch is fresh and maybe the ball will do something early. We had a good series, took many positive points, and we’re confident.” Suryakumar, settling after the brief mishap, emphasised India’s preparation: “Looks a nice fresh wicket. Humid also today, might be dew later. We came here early, had 3-4 good practice sessions and also a day off.” Despite the comic start, both teams walked in ready for business, with India determined to begin their Asia Cup campaign on a strong note.