Asia Cup 2025 is set to begin on September 9, 2025, with eight teams competing for the title. Indian cricket team will open their campaign against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on September 10 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. This Group A encounter is already making headlines, not just because India are reigning T20 World Cup champions, but because of the special mix of the UAE team's players. For the very first time in international cricket, as many as 16 Indian players could be on the field during a single match. The reason for this is that apart from the 11 Indian cricketers in Team India, five cricketers in the UAE squad are of Indian origin. This makes the next match more special because the audience will witness Indian-origin cricketers play against the Indian national team itself. Also Read | Hardik Pandya on Verge of Rare T20I Record in Asia Cup 2025 Indian-Origin Players in UAE Squad The UAE board has announced a 17-member squad for the Asia Cup 2025. Five of these players are of Indian origin: Harshit Kaushik: a young cricketer who made his T20I debut on September 1, 2025. Simranjeet Singh: a spinner who has taken 15 wickets in 12 T20Is. Dhruv Parashar: an all-rounder with 128 runs and 25 wickets in 23 matches. Alishan Sharafu: the seniormost among them, with 1249 runs in 53 T20Is. Aryansh Sharma: an upper-order batsman with 365 runs off 15 matches. The other big name in the side other than them is wicket-keeper Rahul Chopra with 600 runs from 29 T20Is. Muhammad Waseem, who is a Pakistani national, will lead the UAE team. Also Read | India Jersey for Asia Cup 2025 Unveiled, Clean Look Impresses Fans Asia Cup 2025 Group Stage Format Asia Cup 2025 consists of eight teams, divided into two groups. Group A will have India, Pakistan, UAE, and Oman, while Group B will include Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong. The top-performing teams from each group will go through to the next stage, ending in a final round on September 28, 2025. The India-UAE match will also be India's tournament debut and a milestone game where supporters can see 16 Indian players on the field at the same time. The game gives UAE's Indian-origin cricketers a golden chance to test their mettle against the best in global cricket.