Dubai witnessed a pulsating Asia Cup final on Sunday as India staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Pakistan by 5 wickets, thanks to a crucial partnership between Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube. After a shaky start, the duo steadied the innings and guided the Men in Blue home in a match full of twists.
Pakistan had earlier put India on the back foot, with Faheem Ashraf and Shaheen Afridi wreaking havoc early on. Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Shubman Gill fell cheaply, leaving the home crowd stunned.
It was Tilak Varma and Sanju Samson who steadied the innings with a composed partnership. Mixing singles with timely boundaries, they lifted India to 58/3 at the halfway mark. Their 57-run stand was broken when Samson edged to backward point for 24, leaving India 77/4 in the 13th over.
Pakistan’s spinners tightened the screws through the middle overs, forcing India to 100/4 after 15 overs, still needing 47. But Tilak, calm under pressure, found an able ally in Shivam Dube. The pair counterattacked against Haris Rauf and Abrar Ahmed, bringing the required rate back within reach. Tilak reached his half-century in 41 balls, displaying maturity beyond his years.
Dube’s dismissal for 33 in the penultimate over left India with 10 to win off six balls. Tilak, however, remained unshaken. A two, a towering six, and a calm boundary from Rinku Singh sealed the match in India’s favour at 150/5 in 19.4 overs.
Tilak finished unbeaten on a match-winning 69 off 53 deliveries, laced with three fours and four sixes. Rinku remained not out on 4, while India celebrated a hard-fought win.
Earlier, Kuldeep Yadav led the charge, claiming four wickets as Pakistan’s batting lineup crumbled spectacularly after a steady start. From 146 runs, Pakistan lost nine wickets for just 33 runs, finishing their innings at a paltry 146 in 19.1 overs. Jasprit Bumrah (2/25), Varun Chakravarthy (2/30), and Axar Patel (2/26) joined Yadav in dismantling the opposition, with only Saim Ayub reaching double figures.
India (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson(w), Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy
