Twenty20 International Asia Cup at Dubai International Stadium, Dubai

India Vs Pakistan

Pakistan 146 ao off 19.1 ov, Farhan 57 off 38, 5 fours, 3 sixes, Fakhar 46 off 35, 2 fours, 2 sixes, Yadav 4-30, Bumrah 2-25, Chakravarthy 2-30, Patel 2-26.

India 150-5 off 19.4 ov, Tilak 69 off 53, 3 fours, 4 fours, Dube 33 off 22, 2 fours, 2 sixes, Faheem 3-29, Abrar 1-29, Shaheen 1-20.

India win by 5 wickets.

Tilak Varma scored an amazing unbeaten innings of 69 runs off 53 balls including four sixes and three fours, to steer India to five-wicket victory over Pakistan in the final of the Asia Cup 2025 in Dubai.

India were two wickets down for 10 runs in the third over when Varma chased 147 in the decider on Sunday, in which the champions refused to accept the winner’s trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chairman Moshin Naqvi.

Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav and his teammates cheered with a mock trophy as they celebrated their ninth Asia Cup title, and became the most successful cricket team in the history of Asia Cup. They were champions in 1984, 1988, 1991, 1995, 2010, 2016, 2018 and 2023.

Abhishek was dismissed for five runs via mistimed attempt at a six and by Pakistan’s medium-pace bowler Faheem Ashraf on the first ball of India’s second over. Suryakumar followed soon after when Shaheen Shah Afridi dismissed him for one run as the Indian captain hit his fifth ball straight to mid-off where Pakistani captain Salman Agha took a diving catch. Gill departed nine balls later to Ashraf. Wicket keeper Sanju Samson scored 24 off 21 before falling for leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed.

Earlier Pakistan began their inning brightly as Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman gave an opening stand of 84 before Farhan was dismissed for 57 off 38 in the 10^th over. Zaman 46 off 35, and Saim Ayub who scored 14 were dismissed, as Pakistan crashed from 113-2 to 146 all out in 38 balls, as they finished their inning in 19.1 over. Yadav picked up 4 wickets for 30 runs in his four overs, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy took two wickets apiece. Yadav ended the tournament taking 17 wickets, and Sharma top batter with 314 runs.

Tilak Varma said “ It is one of the best innings of my life and although was bit pressured, but I wanted to stay in and finish the game”.

Pakistan captain Salman Agha said: “It is a tough pill to swallow. We couldn’t rotate the strike properly, and that is the reason we did not get the score we wanted. We need to sort out our batting.”