Asia Cup 2025 Final: Tilak Varma’s Unbeaten 69 Powers India to Ninth Title With Thrilling Win Over Pakistan

In a high-stakes Asia Cup final filled with twists and drama, Tilak Varma rose to the occasion with a composed, unbeaten 69 to guide India to a memorable five-wicket win over arch-rivals Pakistan at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. With this, India clinched their ninth Asia Cup title, remaining unbeaten throughout the tournament.

Chasing 147 on a tricky, two-paced surface, India found themselves in early trouble at 20/3. But the young left-hander Varma anchored the innings with poise, striking 3 fours and 4 sixes in a mature 69* off 49 balls. His crucial partnerships — 57 with Sanju Samson (24) and 60 with Shivam Dube (33) — helped steady India’s chase and eventually seal the win with two balls to spare.

Pakistan’s Batting Collapse

Earlier, Pakistan got off to a flying start after being put into bat. Openers Sahibzada Farhan (57) and Fakhar Zaman (46) stitched a solid 84-run stand. However, India triggered a stunning collapse as Pakistan crumbled from 113/1 to 146 all out — losing their last 9 wickets for just 33 runs.

Spinner Kuldeep Yadav was the architect of the collapse, finishing with 4/30, including three wickets in the 17th over. He was brilliantly supported by Axar Patel and Varun Chakaravarthy, who took two wickets each, while Jasprit Bumrah cleaned up the tail with two key scalps.

India's Wobbly Start

India’s chase began shakily as Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Shubman Gill fell cheaply. But Tilak Varma remained calm under pressure, surviving a run-out scare and counter-attacking with calculated aggression.

He and Samson rebuilt the innings with smart rotation of strike and timely boundaries. After Samson departed, Dube and Varma took the game deep, with both playing big shots under pressure. Dube’s 33 included two sixes, while Varma brought up his fifty off 41 balls, showing remarkable maturity.

Even after Dube fell in the penultimate over, Rinku Singh kept his cool to hit the winning boundary, sparking jubilant celebrations.

Key Performances:

• India: Tilak Varma 69* (49), Shivam Dube 33 (21), Kuldeep Yadav 4/30, Jasprit Bumrah 2/25
• Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan 57 (35), Fakhar Zaman 46 (28), Faheem Ashraf 3/29

Final Scorecard:

• Pakistan: 146 all out in 19.1 overs
• India: 150/5 in 19.4 overs

India now holds the record for the most Asia Cup titles (9), and with young stars like Varma stepping up in big moments, the future looks bright.