Dubai: In a historic first, the Asia Cup 2025 final between India and Pakistan featured two toss presenters, breaking long-standing tradition. For the title clash on Sunday at the Dubai International Stadium, former India coach Ravi Shastri spoke with Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav, while Pakistan fast bowler Waqar Younis questioned Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha.
Neutral toss arrangement amid controversy
The move came after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) requested the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) to maintain a neutral presenter for the final. This decision was notable since ACC and PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi, who previously presented tosses, holds both top positions in the councils.
India won the toss and opted to field first, marking a tactical decision against Pakistan in the first-ever Asia Cup final meeting between the two arch-rivals in the tournament’s 41-year history. India have been crowned champions eight times previously, while Pakistan has won the title twice.
Team India’s strategic changes
Remaining unbeaten in six matches of the Asia Cup so far, India made three changes to the playing XI from their previous game. All-rounder Hardik Pandya sat out due to injury, while Jasprit Bumrah, Shivam Dube, and Rinku Singh replaced Pandya, Harshit Rana, and Arshdeep Singh.
Meanwhile, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha indicated he would have batted first if he had won the toss. Pakistan retained the same XI that defeated Bangladesh in the previous match, showing confidence in their settled squad.
Playing XIs for the Asia Cup 2025 final
India: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (w), Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy
Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (c), Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris (w), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed
Context and significance
This final marks the third India-Pakistan encounter in this edition of the Asia Cup, with India having won the previous two meetings. The decision to field first, along with tactical substitutions, reflects India’s approach to maintain dominance against their historical rivals.
The presence of two toss presenters, a rare deviation from protocol, highlights ongoing sensitivities regarding neutrality in cricket administration amid geopolitical tensions. With the final underway, all eyes are on both teams to see who will lift the prestigious Asia Cup trophy.