'UAE made Shivam Dube look like a deadly bowler': India legend echoes Ashwin's views on competition at Asia Cup

India all-rounder Shivam Dube (PTI Photo)

India's campaign at the Asia Cup 2025 got off to a rollicking start as they thrashed UAE by nine wickets in their opening match. Kuldeep Yadav and Shivam Dube combined to help India bowl out UAE for 57 in 13.1 overs as Wednesday night in Dubai turned out to be more of a warm-up for the Men In Blue ahead of their eagerly awaited match against Pakistan, which is slated for Sunday.

In the wake of the lopsided outcome, former India opener Kris Srikkanth made an interesting observation. "This was not a T20 match, it was like a T-5 match. The UAE batters were getting out if you just bowl at the stumps. Even a third division side won't play this badly. Should teams like UAE play in such tournaments? What's the benefit of encouraging such teams? Such tournaments with the non-Test playing nations will make even ardent cricket fans lose interest in the sport," he said on his YouTube channel.

"Yes, Kuldeep Yadav bowled a couple of beauties to pick up his wickets. But they made Shivam Dube look like a deadly bowler. Not discrediting Dube, but the UAE batters were getting out if you just aim at the stumps. So, a victory like this means nothing for India," he added.

Srikkanth echoed similar views expressed by Ravichandran Ashwin and claimed that India are far ahead of their opponents in the tournament.

“India is playing at a different level than the others. They are a gun-batting side, and Shreyas Iyer will also eventually be included for the T20 World Cup. They are just crushing the opposition, which is what the West Indies used to do in the late 1970s and early 1980s," said Srikkanth.

India, who are the most successful team in the history of the tournament, are considered as clear favorites to successfully defend the title. Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Afghanistan up to a certain extent are expected to pose a bit of threat, which may not also be the case considering the rich talent India possess.