Hardik Pandya has been ruled out of the Asia Cup 2025 final against Pakistan due to a quadricep injury. This news was confirmed by former India coach Ravi Shastri during a broadcast. Pandya, known for his impactful performances, was expected to play a crucial role in the match, especially given his strong record against Pakistan.

The injury occurred during India's Super Four match against Sri Lanka, where Pandya bowled the first over and took a wicket but left the field shortly after and did not return. Speculation about his fitness grew when he was seen at the ground in trainers, moving cautiously with the team physio. At the toss, captain Suryakumar Yadav stated, "Unfortunately, Hardik misses out due to a niggle," confirming the team's concerns.

In Pandya's absence, India made several changes to their playing XI. Jasprit Bumrah, Shivam Dube, and Rinku Singh were included, while Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana were left out. The team will now rely heavily on Bumrah as their primary fast bowler, with Dube providing additional seam options.

Pandya's injury is particularly disappointing as he was just two wickets away from reaching 100 T20I wickets, a milestone achieved by only one other Indian bowler, Arshdeep Singh. In the ongoing Asia Cup, Pandya had taken four wickets in six matches, maintaining an economy rate of 8.57.

The final match will see India fielding: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, and Varun Chakravarthy. Pakistan's lineup includes Fakhar Zaman, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (captain), Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Abrar Ahmed.

India's strategy will be closely watched as they aim to secure their ninth Asia Cup title without one of their key players.