6 Indian-origin players in UAE team who will play against India in Asia Cup 2025
India will play against the UAE in their first match of the Asia Cup 2025. The T20 world champions are the team to beat and go into the tournament as favourites. As India take on the UAE, there will be some Indian-origin players on the other side of the pitch.
India begin their Asia Cup 2025 campaign against the UAE as they look to stamp their authority in Asia and clinch the T20 title back that they won in 2016 and lost in 2022.
While India are the defending champions of the Asia Cup, having won the title in the ODI format in 2023, Sri Lanka last won the T20 title in the continental event in 2022.
India are placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, Oman and UAE and take on the Muhammad Waseem-led side, who lost all of their matches in the recent tri-series against Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Notably, some Indian-origin players are part of the UAE squad and would face India in their opener at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Indian-origin players in UAE team who will face India in Asia Cup:
1 - Simranjeet Singh: Not many know Simarjeet Singh had bowled to Shubman Gill some 14 years ago when the latter was 12. Ludhiana's Simranjeet got stranded in Dubai during the COVID-19 pandemic and stayed there. The 35-year-old is in the UAE's squad and will be up against Gill and India.
2 - Harshit Kaushik: All-rounder Harshit Kaushik is another Indian-origin player in the UAE squad for the Asia Cup. Kaushik made his UAE debut in the tri-series in the build-up to the tournament. He has played three T20Is with 22 runs in them and no wickets to his name as of now.
3 - Dhruv Parashar: All-rounder Dhruv Parashar is a player in the UAE side who hails from India. He has played 23 T20Is and nine ODIs for the UAE national side since making his debut in December 2023. Parashar has 128 runs in 18 T20I innings and 25 wickets in 22 outings.
4 - Alishan Sharafu: Opening batter Alishan Sharafu is another such player on the list. A hard-hitting batter, Sharafu has played 53 T20Is and 24 ODIs for the UAE. He has some decent experience under his belt, having played for a number of franchises in the ILT20.
5 - Aryansh Sharma: Born in Ghaziabad, Aryansh Sharma is another Indian-origin star who is in the UAE squad for the Asia Cup. The 20-year-old wicketkeeper batter moved to the UAE with his family when he was two years old. He has played 15 T20Is and 18 ODIs, having scored 365 and 369 runs in them, respectively.
6 - Rahul Chopra: Having roots from India, Rahul Chopra is another wicketkeeper batter in the UAE squad. He has played the ILT20, Zimbabwe Afro T10 League and the Abu Dhabi T10 tournament. Chopra has played 29 T20Is and 16 ODIs for the UAE, having made 600 and 403 runs in them.