India win their ninth Asia Cup title, beating Pakistan by five wickets in the intense final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, September 28. Pakistan lost the first two matches they played against India in the Asia Cup quite convincingly, but on Sunday, they had their arch-rivals in a bit of trouble on a couple of occasions at least.
Opting to bowl first, Suryakumar Yadav would have been a bit worried after Pakistan openers Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman added 84 runs inside
10 overs. After Farhan was dismissed for 57 (35), Saim Ayub and Zaman helped Pakistan carry the momentum forward in their innings. However, from the 13th over, the Indian spinners ruled the roost, with Kuldeep Yadav putting the opposition batters in all sorts of trouble.
From 113/1 in the 13th over, Pakistan were bowled out for 146 with five balls remaining in their innings. Kuldeep was the pick of the bowlers, bagging a four-for. In reply, India did have a stutter at the top, with Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Shubman Gill departing in the powerplay.
However, Tilak Varma and Sanju Samson stitched a crucial 57-run stand off 50 balls to steady the ship. However, after Samson was dismissed for a 21-ball 24, Shivam Dube gave Tilak great support. The latter dropped anchor, while Dube did the bulk of the scoring.
The 60-run partnership off 40 balls between the two left-handed batters took India to a great position. In the last over, only 10 runs were required. Tilak took two runs off the first ball and hit a massive six off the second. After the pressure-releasing six, Tilak gave the strike to Rinku Singh, who was playing his first match in the tournament. The diminutive cricketer hit a boundary off the first ball he faced to take India to victory with two balls to spare.
Key moments from IND vs PAK, Final of Asia Cup 2025:
Pakistan's inexplicable collapse, Kuldeep Yadav dominates
The last nine wickets in the Pakistan innings fell for just 33 runs in the space of 39 balls. At the half-way stage, it looked like the Men in Green would be able to post a 180-plus total, which would have put India under massive pressure. However, the Indian bowling attack, led by Kuldeep Yadav, made life difficult for the Pakistani batters. In the end, Kuldeep finished with brilliant figures of 4/30 in four overs. Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Jasprit Bumrah also chipped in with two wickets apiece.
Tilak Varma shines under pressure
Tilak Varma had played some decent knocks in the tournament heading into the final. However, he saved his best for the biggest stage of them all. The 22-year-old showed maturity beyond his years, batting with composure after India lost three quick wickets. He finished unbeaten on 69 off 53 balls, belting three fours and four sixes.
Faheem Ashraf gives hope with new-ball burst
Faheem Ashraf couldn't contribute with the bat but he did give Pakistan hope with his burst with the new ball. He took the important wicket of the in-form Abhishek Sharma in the second over. In his following over, he got the better of Shubman Gill. In the end, Ashraf finished with figures of 3/29 in four overs. However, his efforts went in vain.
