Pakistan vs UAE highlights, Asia Cup 2025: Pakistan beat UAE by 41 runs to set-up clash with India on Sunday

Saim Ayub to Rahul Chopra, Landed around off, Chopra pushes it towards Salman Agha at short cover.

Saim Ayub to Rahul Chopra, Full, outside off, slightly slower, 80.6 kph, Rahul Chopra does not pick it. The ball lands, grips and then turns away. Probably expecting the off break. Chopra is late in getting the bat down and just opens the face of his bat at the last moment to guide it towards short third.

Saim Ayub to Dhruv Parashar, Landed outside off, Parashar punches it towards long off for a single.

Saim Ayub to Dhruv Parashar, Short, around off, Dhruv Parashar works it through mid-wicket, finds the gap and gets another couple.

United Arab Emirates need another 105 from 78 balls. Pakistan managed 102 in their last 78.

Mohammad Nawaz to Rahul Chopra, Short, outside off, spins away, 86 kph, Rahul Chopra goes back and works it through mid on for a couple. Tea pots are brewing as that should just have been a single. Actually, long on was running after the ball while deep mid-wicket was coming in. There was a slight miscommunication between the fielders and the batters pounced on the opportunity to take the second.

Mohammad Nawaz to Rahul Chopra, Full and around off, 85.5 kph, RC defends it towards cover.

Mohammad Nawaz to Rahul Chopra, Good flighted delivery, slowing it down to 86.8 kph, Rahul comes half forward to defend but the ball lands and then spins past the outside edge.

Mohammad Nawaz to Rahul Chopra, Full, outside off, Chopra drives it straight to short extra cover.

Mohammad Nawaz to Dhruv Parashar, On middle, Dhruv Parashar walks into the shot and pushes it down to long on for a run.

Mohammad Nawaz to Rahul Chopra, Full, outside off, Rahul Chopra drives it through the covers for a single.

Just when United Arab Emirates were making some noise, Pakistan have shut that down. 35/1 after 4 overs becomes 38/3 after 6 overs and looking at the comparison at this stage, Pakistan have won it out of nowhere! They were 39/2 at this stage. Mohammad Nawaz returns. 1-0-13-0 so far. 

Saim Ayub to Dhruv Parashar, Short, outside off, Dhruv punches it straight to cover. A wicket and a run from the over, 3/2 in the last 2 overs!

Saim Ayub to Dhruv Parashar, WIDE. Down the leg side, spinning down, Parashar misses his flick.

Well, after all that inspection, umpire RUCHIRA PALLIYAGURUGE IS WALKING OFF THE FIELD. He clearly looks dazed, looking down while walking back towards the room. This is clearly not a good sign, as science suggests that if you are not able to look straight while walking, your nerves might have got affected. The reserve umpire, Gazi Sohel, from Bangladesh, comes on as his replacement. We resume.

Concussion test! Not for any player, but the umpire instead! Poor old Ruchira Palliyaguruge. The rivalry between Pakistan and Sri Lanka is well known but can the umpires be spared please? Jokes apart, this was just unaccounted for. It seemed like an uneventful ball. It got played towards mid on who returned the ball to the keeper. Mohammad Haris, then, threw the ball back to the bowler as he got ready to get back to his mark. But when the throw came, umpire Palliyaguruge had his back to the ball and got hit right on the head! In fact, the replay shows that the ball hit him on the left ear as well and it has reddened a lot. The physio has rushed out to the middle.

Saim Ayub to Dhruv Parashar, Another leg spinner, worked towards mid on.

Saim Ayub to Dhruv Parashar, Short, outside off, spinning away, Dhruv Parashar punches it towards cover.

Dhruv Parashar walks in next, at number 5, replacing Muhammad Zohaib.

Saim Ayub to Muhammad Zohaib, OUT! OUTFOXED! BOWLED! Saim Ayub might have struggled massively with the bat, but he continues to shine with the ball! Comes from around the stumps, and darts it on a tad fuller length, just outside off. The ball slides in sharply through the air, and cramps Zohaib for space and pace both. Muhammad Zohaib is rushed to go on the back foot and tries to cut it away, but is beaten all ends up as the ball skids through and smashes into the stumps. United Arab Emirates are 37/3 down now as Muhammad Zohaib departs for 4 (9). United Arab Emirates need another 110 runs to win off 87 balls!

Saim Ayub to Muhammad Zohaib, DROPPED? The reactions of the Pakistan fielders seem to suggest so. Full, on middle, Muhammad Zohaib looks to drive it straight but hits this a bit aerially back towards the bowler. It dips onto Saim Ayub, who is unable to pick it up cleanly.

Saim Ayub to Muhammad Zohaib, Full, around middle and leg, punched towards cover.

United Arab Emirates need 110 from 90 balls. Pakistan scored 115 in their last 90. So Saim Ayub does get the ball. He will bowl the final over of the Powerplay.

Abrar Ahmed to Muhammad Zohaib, Backs away to the leg side, does Zohaib, and gets followed. Short in length, down the leg side, Zohaib works it through mid-wicket for a single to retain the strike. A wicket and just 2 runs to get Abrar going.

Abrar Ahmed to Muhammad Zohaib, Fuller, around middle, Muhammad Zohaib drives it back to the bowler.

Abrar Ahmed to Rahul Chopra, A wonderful wrong 'un, outside off, on a length, 77.6 kph, Rahul Chopra plays that very late. Perhaps he did not pick the googly, as his bat come down to defend the ball at the last moment. But the open face got the ball rolling past slip, to his right and a single got taken.

Rahul Chopra walks in next, at number 4, replacing his skipper, Muhammad Waseem.

Abrar Ahmed to Muhammad Waseem, OUT! GONE! CAUGHT! This could be a game-changing wicket right there for Pakistan! Full marks for a brilliant catch from Mohammad Nawaz. Seeing Waseem moving a bit leg side to go inside out over cover, Abrar smartly bowls it wide outside off, and slows it up, on a fuller length, making Waseem reach for it. The UAE skipper still goes through the shot, but ends up badly mistiming it off the toe end. The ball spoons up towards the point region. Mohammad Nawaz runs backward a bit and flings himself with a dive to grab a fantastic catch. All the Pakistan players are pumped and why not? Muhammad Waseem departs for 14 (15) and the United Arab Emirates are 35/2, needing 112 runs to win!

Abrar Ahmed to Muhammad Waseem, Around middle and leg, the googly, Waseem flicks it towards short mid-wicket.

Abrar Ahmed to Muhammad Waseem, Tossed up, outside off, spinning away, Muhammad Waseem looks to cut but misses.

After 4 overs, United Arab Emirates are 35/1. At the same stage, Pakistan were 17/2! That's nearly double the runs and wickets. Abrar Ahmed to bowl his leg spin now.

Haris Rauf to Muhammad Waseem, Tries to tuck him up for space, does Rauf. Bowls a short ball, on the bodyline. Waseem again carves room for himself and punches it wide of mid off for a single. 12 off Rauf's first.

Haris Rauf to Muhammad Waseem, FOUR! That has been PUNISHED! On a back of a length, angling on the off stump line. Waseem again creates room by moving leg side of the ball and belts it over mid off for a cracking boundary!

Haris Rauf to Muhammad Waseem, Slower bouncer, on top of middle and leg. Waseem backs away and slashes it straight to the cover fielder. 

Haris Rauf to Muhammad Waseem, Some spice from Rauf. Bends his back and fires in a quicker one back of a length around off. MW thumps this back to the bowler's left. Rauf gathers this in his followthrough.

Haris Rauf to Muhammad Zohaib, Back of a length around middle and leg, Muhammad Zohaib flicks this away for a single. 

Haris Rauf to Muhammad Zohaib, FIVE WIDES! This is not what Pakistan need right now. Good length, wide of off, and it keeps going away from the batter first, then the tramline and beats the keeper diving to his left as well, behind the stumps. The ball races to the fence for a boundary.

Haris Rauf to Muhammad Waseem, Haris Rauf bends his back first up and darts in a short-pitched delivery around the hips of Muhammad Waseem. The batter hops up on his toes and nudges this through square leg for one.

United Arab Emirates need 124 from 102 balls. Pakistan scored 135 in their last 102. Enough of spin, say Pakistan. Haris Rauf is about to be unleashed now.

Shaheen Afridi to Muhammad Zohaib, Another jaffa to end the over! Slams the deck hard, outside off. This one kicks up a bit off the deck and Zohaib is beaten again as the ball passes above his angled bat.

Shaheen Afridi to Muhammad Zohaib, BEAUTY! Tempts the batter to draw the front foot out, does Shaheen. Bowls it just outside off, and gets an away shape from the good length. Muhammad Zohaib does not get to the pitch of the ball and hangs the bat away from the body, and is beaten on the outside edge by a kitten whisker.

Shaheen Afridi to Muhammad Zohaib, A gentle shape away from middle, on a fuller length. Zohaib confidently clips it through mid-wicket for a couple of runs and gets off the mark.

Muhammad Zohaib walks in next, at number 3, replacing Alishan Sharafu.