IND vs PAK: Indian captain Surya won the toss and elected to bowl first- See the playing 11 of both teams

IND vs PAK: The much-anticipated clash between India and Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 Super-4 round has begun. Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and chose to bowl first. In this crucial match, India made two changes in their playing XI, bringing back pacer Jasprit Bumrah and spinner Varun Chakravarthy, while Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh were left out. On the other hand, Pakistan also made two changes, with Saeem Ayub and Talat Hussain replacing Hasan Nawaz and Khushdil Shah.

No Handshake Controversy Back in Headlines

Tensions between India and Pakistan were visible once again before the match. Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav did not shake hands with Pakistani skipper Salman Ali Agha. This issue had previously gained attention when Indian players refused to shake hands with the Pakistani team in protest against the Pahalgam attack. At that time, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) lodged a complaint with match referee Andy Pycroft, but no action was taken. Later, the PCB demanded that the ICC remove Pycroft from the tournament or at least keep him away from Pakistan’s matches. However, ICC rejected these demands, and Andy Pycroft continues to officiate as referee in today’s match as well.

Playing XI of Both Teams

India:

• Abhishek Sharma

• Shubman Gill

• Suryakumar Yadav (Captain)

• Tilak Varma

• Hardik Pandya

• Shivam Dube

• Sanju Samson

• Axar Patel

• Kuldeep Yadav

• Varun Chakravarthy

• Jasprit Bumrah

Pakistan:

• Saeem Ayub

• Sahibzada Farhan

• Fakhar Zaman

• Salman Ali Agha (Captain)

• Faheem Ashraf

• Talat Hussain

• Mohammad Haris

• Mohammad Nawaz

• Shaheen Shah Afridi

• Haris Rauf

• Abrar Ahmed

Significance of the Match

This encounter is extremely crucial for both teams, as a win in the Super-4 round will strengthen their chances of reaching the final. India’s bowling has been bolstered by the return of Bumrah and Chakravarthy, while Pakistan’s pace trio—Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Abrar Ahmed—poses a strong challenge to Indian batters. Alongside the on-field action, the ongoing tensions between the two nations have added even more drama to this high-voltage clash.