Asia Cup final: No place for key all-rounder in India playing XI vs Pakistan?

Former Indian wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel has revealed his preferred playing XI for India's upcoming Asia Cup 2025 final against Pakistan. He has suggested including six bowling options while dropping all-rounder Shivam Dube.

Patel, speaking at his YouTube channel, opted for left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh instead of Dube, who had previously taken two crucial wickets against Pakistan in their Super-Four encounter at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.


This bowling combination was previously tested in India's Super-Four match against Sri Lanka. Despite conceding 46 runs in four overs, Arshdeep showed impressive performance with an 11-run 19th over and a remarkable two-run Super-Over.

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Parthiv Patel's proposed Indian team includes Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, and Varun Chakaravarthy.

The suggested lineup features batting depth until number seven, with six bowling options available. However, India has faced challenges with top-order collapses in crucial matches.

There remains a possibility of both Dube and Arshdeep being included in the final team. This scenario could materialize due to Hardik Pandya's recent injury during the Sri Lanka match, where he left the field after bowling just one over.

While some reports attributed Pandya's exit to cramps, his absence for 19 overs raises questions. If Pandya is unavailable, Dube could serve as his replacement, with Arshdeep strengthening the bowling attack.

"I think Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma will have the most opportunities because they play at the top. I think Shubman Gill can be the player of the match," Patel said while predicting the potential match-winner.

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