Asia Cup 2025, Final: Star India player ruled out of playing XI ahead of IND vs PAK match

A big blow for Team India. Star all-rounder Hardik Pandya is ruled out of the India vs Pakistan (IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2025) Asia Cup 2025 final match. The huge update came ahead of the toss at the Dubai International Stadium. Captain Surya Kumar Yadav won the toss and decided to bowl first against the archrival Pakistan. Rinku Singh came into the playing XI to replace injured Pandya. 

Pandya was uncertain about the final match. During India's last Super Four match, which was against Sri Lanka, multiple India cricketers suffered cramps including Abhishek Sharma and Hardik Pandya. After the match, team India bowling coach Morne Morkel informed that Pandya would be assessed, but Sharma looked fine. During the toss, today, the Men in Blue captain informed that Hardik missed out due to a niggle he picked during the previous match. 

Morkel said before, "Hardik, I know we'll assess sort of tonight and tomorrow morning, and we'll make a call on that. Abhishek is fine." 

"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", Yadav said after winning the toss. 

Read More: Why is Hardik Pandya not playing today in IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2025 Final?

First XIs:

India—Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (WK), Rinku Singh (in for Hardik Pandya), Axar Patel, Shivam Dube (in for Arshdeep Singh), Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Jasprit Bumrah (in for Harshit Rana).

Pakistan- Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (C), Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris (WK), Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, and Abrar Ahmed.