Toss and India’s Decision
Suryakumar Yadav, leading india, won the toss in the Asia Cup 2025 final against Pakistan.
He opted to bowl first, citing favorable wicket conditions and better visibility under lights.
Surya praised the groundsmen for maintaining good pitches throughout the tournament.
He emphasized India’s strong recent form and confidence in chasing totals.
Hardik Pandya’s Absence
Hardik Pandya, the world’s No. 1 t20 all-rounder, is not part of India’s playing XI in the final.
Reason: Surya confirmed at the toss that hardik is out due to injury.
His absence is a big setback, as he balances both the batting and bowling departments.
Alongside hardik, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana are also unavailable for the final.
India compensated by including Jasprit Bumrah, shivam Dubey, and Rinku Singh in the XI.
Hardik’s Performance in the Tournament
Played all six matches before the final.
Batting: Scored 58 runs in 4 innings, showing modest returns with the bat.
Bowling: Picked up 4 wickets, impressing with his economy and control.
Despite average batting numbers, his bowling made him a crucial asset for the side.
India’s Playing XI
Abhishek Sharma
Shubman Gill
Suryakumar Yadav (captain)
Tilak Verma
Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper)
Shivam Dubey
Rinku Singh
Axar Patel
Kuldeep Yadav
Jasprit Bumrah
Varun Chakravarthy
Pakistan’s Playing XI
Fakhar Zaman
Sahibzada Farhan
Saim Ayub
Salman ali Agha (captain)
Hussain Talat
Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper)
Mohammad Nawaz
Faheem Ashraf
Shaheen Shah Afridi
Haris Rauf
Abrar Ahmed
👉 The injury to hardik pandya forced india to field a lineup with just one specialist fast bowler (Bumrah), relying heavily on all-rounders and spinners for balance in the high-pressure final.
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