Hardik Pandya missed out as India face Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, September 28. The star all-rounder is among the three players to miss out from India's Super Over win over Sri Lanka on Friday.
India skipper Suryakumar Yadav won the toss in the final and opted to bowl first. Surya revealed that Hardik missed out due to a niggle he picked during the previous match. "We will bowl first. It looks a good wicket. The wicket gets better under lights. We have been batting well first, but we would like to chase today. The groundsmen have done a terrific job with the wickets here. The brand of cricket we have been playing for the last 5-6 games is pretty good. Unfortunately, Hardik misses out. Arshdeep and Harshit also miss out. Bumrah, Dube and Rinku come in," he said at the toss.
Hardik Pandya pulled up what bowling coach Morne Morkel described as 'cramps' during India's last Super Four clash against Sri Lanka. Hardik bowled only one over for India in the second innings before being sidelined for the majority of the 202-run defence. Morkel had stated that Hardik would undergo assessment before a call being taken.
"Hardik, I know we'll assess sort of tonight and tomorrow morning, and we'll make a call on that. Abhishek is fine," Morkel had said after India's win over Sri Lanka in the Super Over. "Both of them were just struggling with cramps."
Meanwhile, Pakistan have made no changes to the Playing XI that last featured in the clash against Bangladesh. "Definitely happy to bat first. We are very excited and looking forward to this game. We haven't played a perfect game and hopefully we play one today. Same side. We have been playing on these pitches for a while and it will play the same," Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha said at the toss.
India and Pakistan meet each other in an Asia Cup final for the first time since the tournament began in 1984. India made it to the finals on the back of six straight wins and remain the only unbeaten team in the tournament, while Pakistan have lost to none but India in the continental event.
India and Pakistan have faced each other 15 times in T20Is, with the Men in Blue enjoying a comprehensive 12-3 lead over their arch-rivals. This includes their win over the Men in Green in the 2007 T20 World Cup final.
Pakistan's Playing XI: Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha(c), Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris(w), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed
India's Playing XI: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson(w), Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy
