Why Hardik Pandya Is Not Playing Today’s India-Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 Final? | Cricket News

All-rounder Hardik Pandya is not part of India’s playing 11 for Sunday’s 2025 Asia Cup final against Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav at the toss — which he won and opted to bowl first — said Pandya had a ‘niggle’.

Pandya seemed to have picked up an injury in the last game against Sri Lanka on Friday. He batted and scored 2 (3) in the first innings and opened the bowling in the second, taking the wicket of opener Kusal Mendis for a golden duck. However, he walked back to the dressing room immediately after finishing it and didn’t take any further part in the match, which was tied and went to the Super-Over, where the Men in Blue won.

As there were fewer than two days between that game and the final, India opted against pre-match practice and also didn’t conduct a press conference to answer questions about his fitness. Former India batting coach Abhishek Nayar, on the Sony Sports Network, said that his sources in the team told him that Pandya had picked up a ‘strain’ in that Sri Lanka game, which would rule him out

More to follow…