Tilak Varma‘s unbeaten 69 helped India come out of troubled waters. Tilak Varma was a man possessed and handled things under pressure as India got over the line with 2 balls to spare to win Asia Cup 2025 and their 9th crown. Put into bat first, Pakistan started well with Sahibzada Farhan scoring 57 off 38 balls. But they collapsed to Kuldeep Yadav’s 4-wicket haul and 3 wickets in an over to be bowled out for 146 in 19.1 overs. The other spinners chipped in as well.
In reply, India were in trouble at 20/3 in 4 overs but Tilak Varma stood up and scored an unbeaten 69 and the others like Shivam Dube and Sanju Samson chipped in with important contributions as India finally got over the line with Rinku Singh hitting the winning runs. Faheem Ashraf bowled well and picked up 3 wickets. Pakistan tried hard but it was not to be for the Men in Green.
Kuldeep Yadav’s 4/30 skittles Pakistan out for 146 in 19.1 overs
Put into bat first, Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman came out to bat for Pakistan while Shivam Dube had ball in hand for India. Farhan made his intentions clear as he whacked Dube over mid-on for a boundary. Jasprit Bumrah had ball in hand from the other end. Farhan took the attack to Bumrah as well as he sliced it over extra cover for a boundary. Dube continued as Fakhar took the attack to him by charging at the bowler and ramping it over short third man for a boundary.
Bumrah continued as Farhan took him on and muscled it over midwicket for a boundary. He then took on Bumrah and deposited it down the ground over long-off for the maximum. Farhan survived a minor run out scare. Varun Chakaravarthy came into the attack as India searched for a wicket. He bowled a decent first over. Axar Patel came into the attack to bowl the last over of powerplay. Farhan hit him and flat batted it over mid-off for a boundary to end the powerplay. At the end of the powerplay, Pakistan were at a solid 45/0 in 6 overs.
Kuldeep Yadav came into the attack post the powerplay. The 50 came up for Pakistan in the 7th over. Farhan then took on Kuldeep as he hit the half tracker over square leg for the maximum. Axar Patel continued as Farhan took him on as well as he played the slog sweep through the midwicket region for a boundary. Tilak tried to stop the ball, but the ball went away to the fence.
Kuldeep continued as Fakhar smashed him over deep midwicket for the maximum. Farhan got to his fifty with a brace as he reached his fifth T20I fifty and his second against India. Varun Chakaravarthy came back into the attack. Farhan hit Varun over Abhishek at long-on for the maximum. But Varun hit back getting rid of Farhan for 57 off 38 balls with 5 fours and 3 sixes to his name.
He bowled a good length delivery outside off-stump a googly that turns back in a shade and bounced a bit to cramp Farhan as he rocked back to go bang, bang against Varun. There was not enough space to time the pull perfectly as he hit it flat and straight to Tilak Varma in the deep, Farhan was not happy with the dismissal. Saim Ayub came out to bat next and got off the mark as well. After 10 overs, Pakistan were well-placed at 87/1 and looked good to get a big total.
Shivam Dube came back into the attack. Ayub hit the short of a length delivery through short midwicket region for a boundary. Ayub hit another boundary off Dube as he glanced it away to short fine leg region for a boundary. Tilak Varma came onto bowl next. Fakhar hit him by coming down the track and slammed it over the bowler’s head for a boundary as the 100 came up for Pakistan in 11.2 overs. Kuldeep came back into the attack and he got rid of Ayub for 14 off 11 balls with 2 fours to his name.
Kuldeep bowled a fuller length leg break quicker one as well delivered outside off-stump. Ayub squats a bit and looked to play it on the back foot. He slashed it and got an outer half of the bat that looped to backward point. Bumrah dived forward to complete the dismissal. Mohammad Haris came out to bat next. Axar Patel returned to the attack and he got rid of Haris for a silver duck.
Axar bowled a good length delivery on the middle stump as this one gripped on the surface and spun away. Haris was down the track and looked to go inside out over extra cover. He was nowhere near the pitch of the ball. Still, he went through the stroke and checked his lofted drive to holed out to wide long-off as Rinku took the catch. Salman Ali Agha came out to bat next. He got off the mark straightaway.
Varun came back into the attack and was hit by Fakhar for a maximum over long-on. But the bowler hit back getting rid of Fakhar for 46 off 35 balls with 2 fours and 2 sixes to his name. Varun bowled a googly wide outside off-stump on a fuller length. Zaman was on the front foot, but was not close to the line of the ball or the pitch of the ball. He threw his hands at it and ended up slicing it to backward point. The ball ballooned to Kuldeep Yadav who backtracked a yard or two before taking the catch. Hussain Talat came out to bat next. He got off the mark as Pakistan reached 128/4 in 15 overs as India came back into the contest.
Axar Patel came to bowl his last over even as SKY’s obstructing the field appeal was turned down by the TV umpire. Axar then got rid of Hussain Talat for 1 off 2 balls. Fuller length on the middle stump, Talat sat down on one knee for a slog sweep. He played across the line without getting close to the pitch of the ball and got a top edge that shot up towards backward point with Samson calling for it and taking a fine high catch in his gloves. Mohammad Nawaz came out to bat next.
Kuldeep Yadav came back into the attack to bowl his final over. Kuldeep from over the wicket bowled a good length delivery on the leg stump. The leg break that spun in. Salman stepped down the track and looked to heave across the line without even reaching to the pitch of the ball. He does play with the spin but there was no way that he was going to time the ball from that position. He got a leading edge and went towards short midwicket region where Samson called for it and sprinted across to get underneath it and took a good two-handed catch with the ball swirling under the night sky. He dived to complete the sky. Shaheen Afridi came out to bat next.
Afridi was given OUT LBW off Kuldeep but he reviewed it to get the decision overturned in his favour. But Kuldeep came back to get rid of Afridi via the great usage of DRS by India. He bowled a googly that is fuller and pitching outside off-stump spinning into the middle stump line. Afridi got across his off-stump to get down on one knee and spread up looking to go across the line for another slog only to miss it on the inside edge and got hit on the pads. The umpire said no. On replays, three reds meant change of decision to OUT. Faheem Ashraf came out to bat next and fell to a silver duck as Kuldeep had 3 in the over.
Kuldeep tossed it up outside off-stump. Ashraf got low on the front foot but got too close to the pitch of the ball as he looked to lift it downtown. No elevation behind the stroke and hitting it straight to long-off where Tilak took the catch. Haris Rauf came out to bat next. Bumrah returned to the bowling crease as Haris Rauf got a lucky boundary away by steering it to third man region.
Bumrah got his first wicket of the evening as he dismissed Rauf for 6 off 4 balls with a boundary to his name. He bowled a yorker attacking the off-stump which is too good for Rauf. He was hanging back deep in the crease but failed to get his bat down in time or in line with it. He missed it altogether as the ball smashed the base of the off-stumps. Abrar Ahmed came out to bat next.
Varun came and bowled a decent 19th over to finish his spell. Bumrah then finished things off as he got rid of Nawaz for 6 off 9 balls. Bumrah from around the wicket bowled a fuller length delivery as Nawaz stayed in his crease and looked to fetch Bumrah over midwicket with a pull shot. He was in no position to execute the stroke as he dragged it off the toe end of the bat. He hit it high but straight down the throat of Rinku Singh at deep midwicket. Abrar Ahmed remained unbeaten on 1 off 2 balls as Pakistan finished with 146 all out in 19.1 overs. 7 extras given by Indian bowlers.
The Indian bowlers came back well with the ball after the initial onslaught. Kuldeep Yadav was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 4/30 in 4 overs including 3 in an over. He was ably supported by Axar Patel who finished with 2/26 in 4 overs. Varun Chakaravarthy chipped in with 2/30 in 4 overs. Jasprit Bumrah finished with 2/25 in 3.1 overs. Shivam Dube finished with 0/23 in 3 overs. Tilak Varma bowled an over for 9 runs. This meant that India needed 147 runs to win off 20 overs to win Asia Cup 2025. It’s not going to be easy on a tacky pitch.
Tilak Varma’s unbeaten 69 takes India over the line in a tense chase
Chasing 147 for the win, Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill came out to open for India. Shaheen Afridi had ball in hand for Pakistan. Abhishek got himself going with a boundary as he punched in the gap between backward point and point for a boundary. Faheem Ashraf came onto bowl from the other end. He dismissed Abhishek Sharma for 5 off 6 balls with a boundary to his name.
Faheem from over the wicket bowled full and outside off-stump with pace off the ball. Abhishek did not move his feet and went through with the shot. He lunged forward and got hit on the toe end of the bat. The ball ballooned to mid-on. Haris Rauf took the catch. Suryakumar Yadav came out to bat next. He got off the mark. Afridi continued and got rid of Suryakumar Yadav for 1 off 5 balls.
Shaheen bowled a fuller than good length delivery on the off-stump. SKY was half forward looking to drive on the up and ended up playing it uppishly towards mid-off. He lost control of the bottom hand as he lost shape in the process and chipped it towards Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha who charged in and dived forward full length to take the catch. The TV umpire was called in and replays showed that it was a clean catch. Tilak Varma came out to bat next. There was a mix up in the middle but no damage was done in the end.
Faheem continued as Gill pulled him over midwicket region for a boundary. Gill then fell to Faheem Ashraf for 12 off 10 balls with a boundary to his name. Faheem bowled a slower ball into the pitch. Gill stepped down the pitch yet again and he had to fetch it well away from his arc. He still looked to play that cross batted swipe but miscued it off the toe end. He nearly got over mid-on as Rauf took a great catch that timed his jump to perfection. Sanju Samson came out to bat next.
Samson hit Afridi for a boundary through the covers. Faheem bowled the final over of the powerplay as Tilak hit him into the gap between mid-off and extra cover for a boundary. Tilak then hit Faheem for the maximum over fine leg region for the maximum. At the end of the powerplay, India were 36/3. Mohammad Nawaz came into the attack post the powerplay. Tilak then swept it nicely between deep backward square leg and deep midwicket for a boundary.
Haris Rauf came into the attack. Samson hit a pull shot over midwicket for a boundary. Abrar Ahmed came into the attack. Sanju Samson was put down by Hussain Talat off Abrar Ahmed as this was a big moment in the game. Saim Ayub came into the attack next. He bowled a decent over. India were 58/3 in 10 overs chasing 147 for the win as players took a Drinks Break.
Abrar resumed after the break. The 50-run stand came up between the two players. Tilak Varma launched Abrar by slog sweeping over deep midwicket for the maximum. Samson then hit Ayub for the maximum by hitting it over midwicket as India bounced back. Abrar broke the partnership as he dismissed Sanju Samson for 24 off 21 balls with 2 fours and a maximum to his name.
Abrar bowled full and tossed up outside off-stump which was a leg break that gripped and turned away from the right-hander as Samson didn’t get to the pitch of the ball and looked to smash it down the ground. He got an outside edge that went straight up in the air. Farhan settled underneath it and took the catch at backward point. Shivam Dube came out to bat next. He got off the mark. Ayub bowled a decent over as Tilak survived a run out scare big time.
Haris Rauf was welcomed back with a boundary by Dube through cover region. Varma joined the party as he hit Rauf for another boundary back past the bowler. Tilak then launched Haris Rauf for the maximum over deep backward square leg as the 100 came up for India in 15 overs. After 15 overs, India were 100/4 needing 47 more off 30 balls.
Abrar changed ends as Dube launched into him and deposited him over midwicket region for the maximum. Tilak soon reached his fifty in 41 balls. Shaheen Afridi returned to the bowling crease and bowled a decent over. Rauf returned to the attack. Dube then launched Haris Rauf off a full toss and smoked it over deep midwicket for the maximum. Faheem Ashraf came to bowl the 19th over. Dube hit him for a boundary to the left of long-on for a boundary. Faheem hit back and got rid of Dube for 33 off 22 balls with 2 fours and 2 sixes to his name.
Faheem bowled a hard length delivery outside off-stump. Off-cutter. Dube hung back and looked to flat bat it over long-off. He didn’t time it well and hit near the shoulder of the bat. The ball went high towards long-off. Shaheen settled underneath it and took the fine catch. Rinku Singh came out to bat next.
Haris Rauf came to bowl the final over of the innings. Tilak struck the massive blow as he smashed Rauf by swiping across the line. He picked the bones out of it to hammer it over left of deep midwicket for the maximum. Then Rinku Singh hit the winning runs as he hit Rauf over wide mid-on for a boundary as India won their 9th Asia Cup title. Tilak stayed unbeaten on 69 off 53 balls with 3 fours and 4 sixes to his name. Rinku was unbeaten on 4 off 1 ball with a boundary to his name. 2 extras given by the fielding side.
Faheem Ashraf was the pick of the bowlers for Pakistan with figures of 3/29 in 4 overs. Shaheen Afridi finished with 1/20 in 4 overs. Abrar Ahmed finished with 1/29 in 4 overs. Haris Rauf went for 50 in 3.4 overs. Saim Ayub finished with 0/16 in 3 overs. Nawaz bowled an over for 6 runs. So, India won by 5 wickets with 2 balls to spare and win their 9th Asia Cup crown.
Also Read: Asia Cup 2025: Kuldeep Yadav’s 4-Wicket Haul Skittles Pakistan Out For 146