India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel has played down injury worries around Hardik Pandya and Abhishek Sharma ahead of the high-voltage Asia Cup 2025 final against Pakistan scheduled to be played in Dubai on Sunday.
Hardik walked off after the first over of Sri Lanka’s innings on Friday, holding his left hamstring despite striking early with the wicket of Kusal Mendis. He did not return to the field but Morkel clarified that the all-rounder only suffered cramps.
“Hardik had cramps, he will be assessed tonight and tomorrow morning, we’ll then take a call on that,” Morkel said in the post-match press conference, echoing captain Suryakumar Yadav’s remarks.
Abhishek also faced similar issues. The opener showed discomfort in the ninth over while sprinting, clutching his right thigh, and eventually left the field in the 10th over. He received ice treatment and pickle juice to ease cramps and sat out the remainder of the innings. Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube and Jitesh Sharma rotated as substitutes, with Tilak Varma briefly stepping off as well before returning.
With the Sri Lanka game running late due to a Super Over, India now have limited recovery time. Morkel stressed the importance of rest and recovery over training.
“The key for the boys is to rest,” Morkel said. “Recovery started straight after the match with ice baths. The best way to recover is sleep and staying off the feet. There will be individual pool sessions and massages before the players get mentally ready for Sunday. It’s a quick turnaround and playing smart is the key. There will certainly be no training.”
Morkel also backed young pacers Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana, who had a tough outing against Sri Lanka, conceding 100 runs in eight overs. Arshdeep, however, redeemed himself by bowling a composed Super Over to secure India’s win.
“In our environment we want to move away from an excuse culture,” Morkel said. “The effort they put in at training, we expect them to go out there and deliver. Game time is different from net sessions, but these boys are X-factors and real match winners.”
The final between Pakistan and India is scheduled for Sunday, September 28, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.