India remain optimistic that Hardik Pandya and Abhishek Sharma will be fit for Sunday’s Asia Cup final against Pakistan, despite both all-rounders spending long spells off the field during Friday night’s tense win over Sri Lanka in Dubai.
Hardik bowled just the one over – a wicket-maiden that removed Kusal Mendis – before clutching his left hamstring and heading straight to the dressing-room. Abhishek, meanwhile, hobbled off in the 10th over after feeling discomfort in his right thigh. Neither returned, forcing India to use four substitute fielders and leaving bowling coach Morne Morkel fielding inevitable questions about their availability.
“Hardik had cramps, he will be assessed tonight and tomorrow morning, we’ll then take a call on that,” Morkel said. “The key for the boys is to rest. They’re in an ice bath already. The recovery started straight after the match. The best way to recover is sleep and stay off your feet. Hopefully they can get a good night’s sleep.”
India’s medical staff prescribed ice, light stretching and even the time-honoured pickle-juice remedy for cramps. With the game stretching deep into the night after a Super Over, the turnaround is brutally short. Morkel confirmed Saturday has been cleared of any formal training. Individual pool sessions and massages are planned, but no one is expected to pick up a bat or ball.
Why so many cramps? Dubai’s late-September humidity is part of the story, though a schedule that had India playing three times in five days has hardly helped. As one member of the support staff put it after the match, “You can’t outrun dehydration in this heat.”
India’s bowlers also had to find a way through 20 overs plus a Super Over without their two main sixth-bowling options. Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana leaked 100 runs between them in eight overs, but Arshdeep held his nerve in the tie-breaker. Morkel defended the pair’s mixed night.
“In our environment we want to move away from an excuse culture,” he said. “The effort they put in at training, we expect them to go out there and deliver. Yes, sometimes lack of game time is a factor. You can bowl as many overs as you like in the nets, but nothing beats game time.”
He added: “The quality of work we put in, we expect the guys to deliver. At the moment, things aren’t happening for them but the team is winning, they’re all X-factor players and real match winners.”
Behind the calm words lies a simple equation: if Hardik’s hamstring is more serious than a cramp, India’s balance is compromised. He has been batting at No. 6, bowling the tough overs and – unofficially – acting as Suryakumar Yadav’s most trusted on-field sounding board. Abhishek’s bowling has been less central, but his powerplay hitting gives India rapid starts that ease pressure later on.
Selectors do have cover. Rinku Singh can slot straight into the middle order, while Shivam Dube is a like-for-like all-round option. Neither, though, offers the same three-dimensional package Hardik brings when fully fit.
For now the message is patience. Assessments will be made on Saturday evening, and a final decision likely kept quiet until the toss. India have no appetite to hand Pakistan free information, especially with Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf already talking up their own plans for Hardik.
Sunday’s final – the first India-Pakistan meeting in the UAE since 2022 – starts at 6 pm local time. If Hardik and Abhishek make it to the field, India’s XI almost selects itself. If not, Morkel’s “no-excuses” mantra will be given its sternest test yet.
