On September 28, 2025, India won their ninth Asia Cup title in an exciting final at the Dubai International Stadium, defeating bitter rivals Pakistan by five wickets with two balls remaining. India had a strong campaign and finished the tournament undefeated thanks to the victory.
Pakistan got off to a strong start and attempted to achieve a high total after choosing to bat first. Sahibzada Farhan (57) and Fakhar Zaman (46) went all out at 113 for 1 in the 13th over, perhaps pushing the total beyond the 200-run threshold.
But the Indian bowlers put up a great fight. Varun Chakravarthy’s breakthroughs and Kuldeep Yadav’s enchanted spell (4/30) put Pakistan in a precarious position, causing them to lose nine wickets for just 33 runs. In 19.1 overs, Pakistan was bundled out for 146 after holding a dominant position. With two wickets, including the removal of Haris Rauf, Jasprit Bumrah contributed.
India’s innings got off to a bad start as they chased 147. Inside the powerplay, the Men in Blue were struggling at 25 for 3 after early wickets from Faheem Ashraf and Shaheen Afridi. With the scorecard reading 77 for 4, Sanju Samson’s departure further increased the strain on India.
But the chase was powered by Tilak Varma’s 69 not out off 53 balls. Tilak picked boundaries at key times and cleverly rotated his stroke. Shivam Dube (33 off 22) provided him with support, and his late appearance—which included a crucial six off Haris Rauf—turned the tide of the match back in India’s favour. Tilak led India home at 150/5 in 19.4 overs with 10 needing off the final over.
Who Made What Remark?
Abhishek Sharma, the tournament’s player
Purchasing an automobile is usually enjoyable. After winning the World Cup, it wasn’t easy for any opener to get into this squad. I put a lot of effort into improving my game, and you need the coach’s and captain’s support, which I had from the beginning of the competition. My team should win if I start. Failure is inevitable, but you must persevere through the process. I had a plan: if I get the spinners in the powerplay, I’ll try to use it. I would start with the first ball regardless of who the bowler is, including premium fast bowlers.
Tilak Varma, the match’s MVP
Pressure was the cause. Their bowling was good. They were changing up the tempo. I was attempting to remain composed and inhaling more deeply. Great knock from Samson. Dube’s performance under duress was crucial for the nation. For every position, we have prepared. You ought to be adaptable. At any order, I was ready to bat. was supporting my strategy. I’ve worked hard and spoken with Gauti sir when the wickets are coming in slowly. One of my life’s most memorable knocks. India’s Chak De.
Salman Agha, the losing captain from Pakistan
Right now, that was a difficult pill to swallow. We were excellent with the ball but didn’t get enough runs, thus we lost wickets when batting. We lost too many wickets because we didn’t rotate our strike. We need to get our batting in order quickly. They bowled incredibly effectively, and I believed we had the game when they needed 63 from 6 overs. However, we lost the game because of the batting. There is a lot to look forward to, and I am really proud of the squad. We will work hard and return better.
India
