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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates: Left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav and seamer Shivam Dube helped limit the United Arab Emirates to 57 runs as India swept to a nine-wicket win in the Asia Cup on Wednesday.
Kuldeep baffled batters with his sharp googlies and bagged 4-7 while Dube claimed 3-4 to dismiss UAE in 13.1 overs — the lowest-ever T20 total against India.
In the Group A game, India cruised to 60-1 in just 4.3 overs with opening batter Abhishek Sharma (30) showing flashes of his skillful power-hitting and Shubman Gill scoring an unbeaten 20.
UAE folds without a fight
UAE batters had no answer for India’s relentless bowling attack despite Jasprit Bumrah showing signs of rustiness in his first T20 game since the World Cup last year.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav believed his team was “flexible” when India won the toss and the skipper chose to field. India had lost the toss in 15 consecutive games.
Alishan Sharafu (22) and captain Muhammad Waseem (19) gave UAE a reasonable start of 41-2 in the powerplay before the batters crumbled against Kuldeep’s sharp spin and Dube warmed up for more tougher games ahead in the tournament with a three-wicket haul.
Bumrah nailed Sharafu will his trademark smearing yorker in the second over and Mohammad Zohaib sliced a catch to backward point when he tried to play Varun Chakravarthy inside out.
Kuldeep’s three-wicket over, that included a plumb leg before wicket dismissal of Waseem, rattled UAE middle-order before Dube claimed three wickets in his two overs and UAE folded with more than six overs to spare.
India called back No. 10 batter Junaid Siddique after wicketkeeper Sanju Samson had him stumped when the batter strolled out of his crease after he missed a pull shot of Dube.
India accepted Siddique’s clarification that he came out of his crease to explain that he got distracted with a rag falling from the pocket of Dube.
However, Siddique couldn’t open his account as he fell of the next legitimate ball of Dube when Suryakumar held onto a high catch at mid-on.
Kuldeep finished off the innings when he had Haider Ali caught behind.
India’s quick chase
Left-handed Abhishek showed how quickly he could unsettle the bowlers in the powerplay when he smashed spinner Ali’s first ball for a six over wide extra cover with his trademark inside out shot. He smashed three sixes and two boundaries in his 16-ball knock.
India needed only 10 runs when Abhishek miscued Siddique’s short ball and got caught at wide mid-wicket but Suryakumar smashed Siddique over fine-leg for a six off the first ball he faced.
Gill then completed the victory with a boundary to mid-on of Simranjeet Singh as UAE slumped to heavy defeat in the group that also include Pakistan and first-timer Oman.

LAS VEGAS: Global enthusiasm for championship boxing is set to rise, thanks to the upcoming contest between super middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and lightweight champion Terence “Bud” Crawford.

The bout, sponsored by Riyadh Season and Saudi sports promoter Turki Alalshikh, will be broadcast on Netflix Saturday, Sept. 13.

Wednesday saw high-profile boxers strutting their stuff before audiences at Las Vegas’ Fontainebleau Hotel. Saudi boxer Mohammed Alakel faces Travis Crawford (not related to Terence) as part of the main card lightweight bout prelude to the Canelo-Crawford battle.

Terence Crawford has fought in four divisions from lightweight to light middleweight, including the undisputed championship at light welterweight and welterweight. He says he will “prove the doubters wrong” when he faces off with Alvarez.

“You know, a lot of people was doubting me, saying that this never been done before. But my reply to it is, ‘It’s never been done before until somebody do it.’ And I think I’m gonna be the one to do it,” he told Arab News.

“Everything is … on schedule. Everything is where it needs to be. I feel great about it and I’m looking forward to it.”

Alvarez, whose 63 wins include 39 knockouts and only two losses and who is the two-time undisputed super middleweight champion, has captured prestigious belts from boxing’s four main sanctioning bodies — the  captured the boxing sports four most prestigious belts from its four major sanctioning bodies — the World Boxing Association, World Boxing Council, World Boxing Organization and the International Boxing Federation.

But some critics point out he has gone the 12-round distance in his last seven fights, with some “underwhelming performances” among them.

Crawford is confident ahead of the bout, saying: “I just think … styles make fights and … certain fighters don’t get up for them. But I think he’s motivated now and I’m looking forward to it.”

He thanked Alalshikh and Riyadh Season for sponsoring the fight and encouraging his move upwards into the Super Middle East division.

Also looking forward to the weekend is Alakel, who will not take his recent successes — including knocking out his last opponent, Yumnan Singh, in the first round of their Aug. 16 match in Riyadh — for granted. However, he is hopeful of a win over Travis Crawford.

“I’ve been working really hard and it’s time to go show the people what I’ve been talking about,” he told Jon Anik, the Ultimate Fighting Championship commentator who will call the fights.

“I just focus on myself because I know the way I fight. I’m not somebody who really cares about what’s happening out there … No pressure, excited to be in a big, big crowd since I was (a) young kid. I’ve been dreaming of these moments and it’s finally alive … I feel the excitement.”

Also on the bill as a co-main fight before the Canelo-Crawford bout are Christian Mbilli who will defend his WBC interim super middleweight belt against Guatemala’s Lester Martinez.

Mbilli, who has won 29 fights with no losses, acknowledged a win could see him face off at a later date with the winner of the Canelo-Crawford battle.

“It’s a little bit of pressure, but it’s good pressure. I’m very happy to be part of attraction of the show. I have a message for everyone, don’t miss the fight. It will be a very, very good fight,” Mbilli told Arab News.

“I’m working on training to never have a loss. I don’t think about loss. I am thinking about win.”

The Cameroonian-French super middleweight, who competed in the 2016 Olympics, said he began boxing as a child because he was constantly fighting other kids in school.

“I had some problem in the streets when I was young. I had a lot of problems like fighting or something like that. I was moved to boxing to know how to defend myself,” he said, explaining how that helped him discover boxing as a career.

Another fight to watch is the bout between Fernando Vargas Jr., and Callum Walsh — both undefeated in their careers to date.

Vargas said he was honored to be sponsored by Riyadh Season and told Arab News his father advised him “to be smart first” and to “study his boxing rivals” and never take them for granted.

“It’s a huge opportunity. I’m not just on the card but I’m co-main eventing, so I definitely wanna get Turki’s (Alalshikh) attention with this victory.

He added he was grateful for the opportunities given to him.

“They get us to big stages like this and the fights in the beginning of your career. You gotta remember those who believe in you and put their money where their heart is.”

Many of the boxers spent the afternoon sparring in rings set up in the lobby of the Fontainebleau Hotel and Casino, while also discussing their hopes for the weekend with media representatives from more than 50 countries.

Canelo vs. Crawford will take place at the 65,000-seat home of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders, the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.