Dubai: India lifted their ninth Asia Cup title after beating arch-rivals Pakistan by five wickets in a pulsating final that went down to the wire. Chasing 147, Tilak Varma emerged as the star of the night, anchoring the innings with an unbeaten 69 off 53 balls and sealing victory with the winning runs in the last over.
Earlier, Kuldeep Yadav’s magical spell turned the game in India’s favour as he picked up four wickets to restrict Pakistan to just 146 in 19.1 overs. Despite having kept their opponents to a modest total, India’s chase was far from smooth as they lost three wickets inside the opening three overs, including the in-form Abhishek Sharma.
The innings was steadied by Tilak and Sanju Samson, who added 57 runs off 50 balls for the fourth wicket. Samson’s dismissal for 24 to Abrar Ahmed in the 13th over once again gave Pakistan hope, but Tilak found support in Shivam Dube. The duo stitched together a crucial 66-run stand, with Dube smashing a quickfire 33 in 22 deliveries to tilt the momentum back in India’s favour.
With nerves running high in the closing stages, Tilak kept calm and guided India home. His composed knock not only anchored the innings but also underlined his growing stature as a big-match player.
For Pakistan, Sahibzada Farhan (57) and Fakhar Zaman (46) were the only bright sparks with the bat, as the rest of the lineup faltered under pressure. Kuldeep’s four-wicket haul was complemented by disciplined spells from Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy.
The triumph marks India’s record-extending ninth Asia Cup crown, reaffirming their dominance in the tournament’s history and handing Pakistan yet another heartbreak on the big stage.