Asia Cup 2025, PAK vs UAE: Dubai pitch report, highest score, key stats

Match No. 10 of the Asia Cup 2025 sees a crucial showdown between Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium today. With a place in the Super Four stage still up for grabs, both sides will be treating this as a must-win encounter. The coin flip of the match went iin UAE's way, who invited Pakistan to bat first. 

PAK vs UAE playing 11 for the match:  PAK playing 11 vs UAE: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Haris(w), Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha(c), Khushdil Shah, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed  UAE playing 11 vs PAK: Alishan Sharafu, Muhammad Waseem(c), Asif Khan, Muhammad Zohaib, Harshit Kaushik, Rahul Chopra(w), Dhruv Parashar, Haider Ali, Muhammad Rohid Khan, Simranjeet Singh, Junaid Siddique

 

Pakistan and UAE are no strangers to each other, having clashed twice recently during a tri-nation series in Sharjah. Pakistan emerged victorious on both occasions, winning by the same margin of 31 runs. However, the stakes are significantly higher this time, as progression to the next stage of the tournament is on the line.

 

 

Pakistan opened their campaign in dominant fashion, registering a 93-run win over Oman. But they couldn’t maintain that momentum, suffering a comprehensive seven-wicket defeat to rivals India. Much was expected from young opener Saim Ayub, but his form has been disappointing so far, with two consecutive golden ducks. Pakistan will need experienced batters like Fakhar Zaman and Salman Ali Agha to step up. Spinners are also likely to play a pivotal role on the slow Dubai pitch. 

 

Meanwhile, UAE began their tournament with a heavy nine-wicket loss to India but recovered well by beating Oman by 42 runs. Their opening duo, Alishan Sharafu and Muhammad Waseem, were in sublime touch in that match, compiling an 88-run partnership. With both players having scored fifties, they’ll be key again. On the bowling front, Junaid Siddique will lead the charge after his four-wicket haul against Oman, with support from Haider Ali and Muhammad Jawadullah.

 

Dubai International cricket Stadium, Dubai pitch report for PAK vs UAE Asia Cup 2025 match:

 

So far, four matches have taken place at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025. The venue has offered a fair balance between bat and ball, but chasing teams have enjoyed a clear advantage. Out of the four games played, three have been won by the side batting second, making the toss an important factor. 

 

The average first-innings total at this ground stands at approximately 124, indicating that batting hasn’t been particularly easy early on. With the pitch tending to settle under lights and dew possibly coming into play in the second innings, captains are likely to opt for bowling first if they win the toss on Wednesday. Teams will be keen to restrict opponents to a low total and chase down the target with calculated aggression.

 

Recent match at Dubai International cricket Stadium

 

The most recent match at the Dubai stadium took place on September 15 between Hong Kong and Sri Lanka where the Islanders registered their 2nd win by 4 wickets. It was a hard fought tie with Hong Kong managing to post a par total of 149 on the night. However, despite a middle-order collapse, Sri Lanka managed to get over the line with 4 wickets left. 

 

Dubai International cricket Stadium, Dubai: Key stats

 

In T20 matches held at Dubai, a total of 113 games have been played. Teams batting first have won 52 matches, while those bowling first have emerged victorious 60 times. The average first-innings score stands at 139, whereas the average second-innings score is slightly lower at 122. The highest total recorded is 212/2 in 20 overs, achieved by India against Afghanistan, while the lowest total is 55 all out in 14.2 overs by West Indies against England. The highest successful chase at the venue is 184/8 in 19.2 overs by Sri Lanka against Bangladesh, and the lowest defended score is 98/5 in 20 overs by Namibia Women against UAE Women.

 

Among batting leaders in T20Is at Dubai, Babar Azam tops the charts with 505 runs in 13 innings at an average of 45.91 and a strike rate of 118.82, including a highest score of 79, 48 fours, and seven sixes. Virat Kohli follows with 344 runs in eight innings at 68.80, while Mohammad Rizwan has accumulated 343 runs at an average of 49.00. Other notable performers include KL Rahul (257 runs) and Rohit Sharma (233 runs).

 

On the bowling front, Shadab Khan leads with 17 wickets in 10 matches at an economy rate of 6.28, followed by MRJ Watt (13 wickets) and Imad Wasim (12 wickets). Others in the top five include SM Sharif (12 wickets) and A Zampa (11 wickets), with notable best bowling figures including Shadab’s 4/26 and Imad Wasim’s 5/14.