"Don't think there will be any training" - Morne Morkel sheds light on India's recovery process ahead of Asia Cup 2025 final

Team India bowling coach Morne Morkel has revealed that the players are unlikely to train on the eve of the Asia Cup 2025 final against Pakistan. He explained that owing to the short turnaround time, the focus will be on rest and mental preparations ahead of the summit clash.

India played out a draining Super Over match against Sri Lanka in Dubai on Friday, September 26. Both teams scored 202-5 in their respective 20 overs before the Men in Blue clinched the Super Over. Team India just have a day's break before their face Pakistan in the final on Sunday.

At a press conference following India's hard-fought Super Over win over Sri Lanka, Morkel was asked about the players' recovery process ahead of the final. He said:

"I don't think there will be any training tomorrow. The boys are already in the ice box and their recovery has sort of started straightaway after the game. The best way to recover is to sleep and stay off your feet. Hopefully, they can all get a good night's sleep tonight.

"I am sure there will be an individual pool session for the guys tomorrow. From there, it is just about getting massages and getting mentally ready for the battle on Sunday," the former South African fast bowler added.

Sent into bat by Sri Lanka on Friday, the Men in Blue posted 202-5 in their 20 overs as Abhishek Sharma (61 off 31) top-scored yet again. With the ball, spinners Varun Chakaravarthy (1-31) and Kuldeep Yadav (1-31) were economical, while Arshdeep Singh bowled a brilliant Super Over, conceding only two runs.

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"Don't think we have played the complete game" - India bowling coach gets candid ahead of Asia Cup 2025 final

Team India are yet to lose a match in Asia Cup 2025. They won all three matches in the group stage. Before the Super Over win over Sri Lanka, they had registered victories against Pakistan and Bangladesh in the Super 4 stage. Morkel, however, admitted that India are yet to put together a complete performance and need to show improvements in all departments of the game. The 40-year-old stated:

"I don't think, in this tournament so far, we have played the complete game. After every game, there have been discussions on areas we would like to improve. Under pressure, we need to get sharper. The boys have skills; they have played a lot of white-ball cricket. At the end of the day, we can have all plans, but we still need to execute."

India head into the Asia Cup 2025 final against Pakistan as favorites. They beat Pakistan by seven wickets in the group stage and by six wickets in the Super 4 round. Both the matches were played in Dubai - the venue for the final.