Hardik Pandya (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

India were dealt a body blow ahead of their high-voltage Asia Cup 2025 final clash against Pakistan in Dubai, as all-rounder Hardik Pandya was ruled out due to a quadricep injury. The confirmation came from former India coach and current broadcaster Ravi Shastri, who broke the news on air.Pandya, often hailed as India’s game-changer in crunch moments, had been central to the team’s plans for the marquee contest. His absence leaves a big void, particularly given his stellar record against Pakistan and his ability to contribute in both departments. The setback stems from India’s Super Four encounter with Sri Lanka on Friday, where Pandya started brightly by striking in the first over but soon left the field and played no further part in the game.Ahead of the final, doubts over his availability intensified when he was seen at the ground in trainers rather than cricket spikes, moving cautiously alongside the team physio. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav confirmed the inevitable at the toss, revealing, “Unfortunately, Hardik misses out due to a niggle.” He also announced that Jasprit Bumrah, Shivam Dube, and Rinku Singh came into the XI, while Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana missed out.The timing of Pandya’s injury is particularly frustrating. With 98 wickets from 120 T20Is, he stood just two short of the prestigious 100-wicket milestone, something only Arshdeep Singh has achieved for India in the shortest format. In the current Asia Cup, Pandya claimed four wickets across six outings, operating at an economy rate of 8.57.India vs Pakistan XIsPakistan XI: Fakhar Zaman, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (captain), Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar AhmedIndia XI: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy