How the Toss Played Out
India captain Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and chose to bowl first. Shastri conducted the discussion with him about the team’s strategy and playing XI. When it was Salman Ali Agha’s turn, Shastri stepped aside and Waqar Younis took over the interview duties. The split presentation style has rarely been seen in high-profile cricket matches, making it a talking point ahead of the much-anticipated clash.
Team Updates: Hardik Pandya Ruled Out
Adding to the drama, India faced a setback as Hardik Pandya was ruled out of the final due to a niggle. He was replaced by Rinku Singh, while Jasprit Bumrah and Shivam Dube came in for Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana. Pakistan made no changes to their side, sticking with the team that reached the final.
“Hardik misses out due to a niggle, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana also miss out. Jasprit Bumrah, Shivam Dube and Rinku Singh come in,” Suryakumar confirmed at the toss.
India and Pakistan Playing XIs
India XI: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy.
Pakistan XI: Fakhar Zaman, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (c), Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed.
Fans React Strongly
The unusual move by Shastri quickly went viral. Many cricket fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to express their disappointment, arguing that sports commentary should remain neutral and unified, especially in a final watched by millions worldwide. Others defended the decision, pointing to PCB’s earlier request for neutrality.
The incident follows a tense build-up to the tournament final, where even player interactions, such as the handshake controversy in earlier matches, had stirred debate.
