- By Namrata Vijay
- Sun, 28 Sep 2025 09:13 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2025 Final: The Men in Blue got a huge boost before the summit clash as star all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been ruled out owing to an injury. Hardik, who is known for his consistent performances during big matches, has left the Indian team management with huge shoes to fill against arch-rivals Pakistan.
The Indian team management made three changes to their playing XI as they had included Rinku Singh as Pandya's replacement and had called back Jasprit Bumrah to the side. They had also called back Shivam Dube in place of Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh.
The fans didn't approve of India's playing XI and had slammed the team management for picking just one pacer, and Shivam Dube being the only other option.
Pandya had bowled with the new ball along with Bumrah during this tournament, and his absence is a huge blow to India's playing XI. At the same time, his performance with the bat will also be missed during this summit clash.
Oicking Rinku Singh instead of Arsheep, the team management tried to strengthen their batting attack instead of adding depth to their bowling attack. At the same time, the Men in Blue have had a hard time bowling in death overs as the opponent teams have scored runs during these overs.
Arshdeep Singh's brilliant bowling prowess against Sri Lanka should have sealed his spot in the playing XI of the summit clash. And the team management's decision to drop him didn't go down well with the fans. It remains to be seen if Rinku's selection works in their favour and helps the team win the title.
India (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.