Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube’s resilient partnership turned the tide for India as the Men in Blue defeated Pakistan by five wickets in Dubai on Sunday to lift their ninth Asia Cup trophy.
Chasing 147, India faced early trouble when Pakistan’s pace duo Faheem Ashraf and Shaheen Afridi silenced the crowd by dismissing Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Shubman Gill for single-digit scores inside the powerplay. Sanju Samson and Varma then steadied the innings before Dube joined Varma to forge a crucial stand that put India back in control. In the end, Rinku Singh provided the finishing touch with a boundary, sealing victory with a strike rate of 400 and bringing the trophy home.
Earlier, Pakistan seemed on course for a big total as Sahibzada Farhan (57) and Fakhar Zaman (46) gave them a solid start. However, their innings unraveled dramatically, collapsing from a comfortable position to being bowled out for just 146 in 19.1 overs. Kuldeep Yadav led the charge with a four-wicket haul, while Jasprit Bumrah (2/25), Varun Chakravarthy (2/30), and Axar Patel (2/26) ripped through the middle and lower order. Only Saim Ayub, apart from the openers, managed to reach double figures.
India went into the final with a few changes – Hardik Pandya missed out due to a niggle, with Rinku Singh coming in, while Bumrah and Dube returned in place of Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh. Pakistan, on the other hand, fielded the same XI that had beaten Bangladesh in their previous game.
This was the third India-Pakistan clash in the 2025 edition of the Asia Cup. Just as in the group stage (seven-wicket win) and Super Four (six-wicket win), India once again asserted dominance when it mattered most.
Tilak Varma’s composure under pressure earned him the Player of the Match, capping off a memorable night for Indian cricket. While Pakistan’s bowlers produced their best effort of the tournament, their batting collapse proved costly.
With this victory, India not only sealed their ninth Asia Cup title but also reinforced their reputation as the region’s most consistent and formidable side.
(Tamil Craze)
