Former cricketer Aakash Chopra lauded Team India batter Tilak Varma‘s match-winning knock in the Asia Cup 2025 final against Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday.Tilak Varma remained unbeaten on 69 off 53 balls as the Men in Blue chases the 147-run target with five wickets in hand.
Aakash Chopra noted that while Varma has two T20I hundreds to his name in his young career, this was by far his best knock in the format at the highest level.
Aakash Chopra Lavishes Praise on Tilak Varma
Speaking to ESPN Cricinfo after the Asia Cup final, Aakash Chopra said: “Tilak Varma, who has already scored two T20I hundreds, has actually played the best T20I knock of his career on this night.”
Tilak Varma walked out to bat when India were in trouble at 10/2 in 2.3 overs. He showed tremendous composure under pressure, taking his side to a famous win. Pointing out what was special in the knock from Tilak Varma,”
Aakash Chopra said:
“Lots of things, actually. Understanding the need of the hour, because 20/3, there was a real threat of things going pear shaped. To maintain that tempo, knowing where to go, who to go against, because it wasn’t your typical T20 surface where the ball was coming onto the bat nicely,”
Aakash Chopra further added: “The need to build a partnership, he was there, and then, whenever he decided to go hard, just connected it beautifully, picked the right balls, didn’t really manufacture a lot of shots, and just a sheer display of skill. I think that was a notch above the rest,”
Varun Aaron highlighted luck favouring Tilak Varma
During the same discussion, former India pacer Varun Aaron noted that Varma had luck on his side as he escaped a run-out chance. On the first ball of the 14th over, the left-handed batter narrowly survived as wicket-keeper Mohammad Haris failed to break the stumps in the first attempt.
Varma would have been out had Haris dislodged the bails in that attempt. However, his error game the Indian batter some extra time to get back into the crease. Commenting on the missed chance, Varun Aaron said: “Obviously got lucky with that missed run out chance, which Pakistan are going to rue I don’t know for how long because they almost had India’s number. If they had gotten him run out, this would have been a different story. That was really bad keeping.”
Tilak Varma was adjudged the Player of the Match in the Asia Cup 2025 final. He finished as India’s second highest run-scorer in the edition amassing 213 runs from 6 innings at a strike rate of 131.48.
Varun Aaron highlighted the importance of Sanju Samson’s innings
Sanju Samson also played an important innings in the Asia Cup 2025 final. The keeper-batter finished with 24 runs from 21 balls. He formed a crucial 57-run partnership in 50 balls for the fourth wicket with Tilak Varma.
Prasing Samson’s performance, Varun Aaron said in the same video: “That was a massive innings. Yes, it wasn’t the strike rate which he generally plays with, but it was a 57-run partnership. In the context of the game, in the context of the wicket, that was a very, very important partnership. That gave Tilak the time and the base to explode in the end.”
It is worth to note that India won the Asia Cup 2025 unbeaten. The Suryakumar-led side claimed seven consecutive victories in the tournament.
This victory would not have been possible without the efforts of Tilak Varma and he was ably supported by Sanju Samson and Shivam Dube as well as India went over the line in the final over to win the contest in a thriller. It was a great contest between bat and ball with the Men in Blue holding their nerves to win the contest in the end.
Also Read: Asia Cup 2025: Tilak Varma’s Stellar Knock Wins 9th Title