India chooses to bowl first against Pakistan in cricket's Asia Cup final, no handshakes at toss

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Pakistan's captain Salman Agha, left, and India's captain Suryakumar Yadav, center, walk out on to the field for the national anthems before the Asia Cup cricket final between India and Pakistan at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

India's and Pakistan's fans carry their national flags as they wait for the Asia Cup cricket final between India and Pakistan to begin at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) — Pakistan's captain Salman Agha, left, and India's captain Suryakumar Yadav, center, walk out on to the field for the national anthems before the Asia Cup cricket final between India and Pakistan at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

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7:50 AM on Sunday, September 28

The Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — India won the toss and chose to bowl first against archrival Pakistan in the eagerly awaited final of cricket's Asia Cup.

Pakistan named an unchanged team Sunday for the Twenty20 match while India all-rounder Hardik Pandya missed out owing to a niggle, replaced by Rinku Singh. Jasprit Bumrah and Shivam Dube returned for India with Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana out.

It is the first India-Pakistan final in Asia Cup history, which started in 1984. The two sides have already met twice earlier in this tournament – in group play and Super Four. India won both games comfortably.

The Asia Cup has marked a resumption of cricket ties between India and Pakistan only months after the neighboring countries were engaged in a tense border situation in May that disrupted the IPL and the Pakistan Super League.

India's cricketers refused to shake hands with Pakistan after their first and second games at the Asia Cup.

There were no handshakes at Sunday's toss where India skipper Suryakumar Yadav spoke with former India cricketer-turned-broadcaster Ravi Shastri and Pakistan captain Salman Agha talked with former Pakistan cricketer-turned-broadcaster Waqar Younis.

The pitch at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium should be useful for batters. Evening dew helps the chasing side.

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Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (captain), Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed.

India: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy.

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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket