India wins toss and opt to ball first in the historic Asia Cup final | The Express Tribune

Tilak Varma’s calm and composed half-century, backed by Kuldeep Yadav’s decisive four-wicket haul, powered India to a five-wicket victory over Pakistan in the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

Chasing 147, India overcame a fiery start from Pakistan’s pacers to seal the title with two balls to spare. Tilak remained unbeaten on 69 off 53 deliveries, striking four sixes and three fours to guide the reigning world champions to a record-extending ninth Asia Cup crown.

Opting to bat first, Pakistan looked on course for a big total thanks to their openers. Sahibzada Farhan continued his brilliant tournament form, smashing 57 off 38 balls with five boundaries and three sixes, while Fakhar Zaman added 46 off 35 balls. Together, they stormed to 84 without loss by the halfway stage.

But the promising stand was undone when Varun Chakravarthy dismissed Farhan, opening the door for Kuldeep Yadav to dismantle the middle order. Pakistan slipped from 113 for 1 to 134 for 8 in the space of four overs. Fakhar, captain Salman Ali Agha, and Shaheen Afridi all fell in quick succession as Kuldeep returned 4 for 30. Pakistan were eventually bowled out for 146 in 19.1 overs.

In reply, Pakistan’s attack struck early. Faheem Ashraf removed Abhishek Sharma for 5 and Shubman Gill for 12, while Shaheen Shah Afridi dismissed Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav for 1 with a sharp catch from Salman. India were reduced to 20 for 3 inside four overs.

From there, Tilak Varma took charge. He added 57 runs with Sanju Samson (24) before partnering Shivam Dube (33 off 22) in a 60-run stand that tilted the contest back India’s way. Dube fell late, but Tilak’s unbeaten knock ensured there were no further hiccups as India reached 147 for 5 in 19.4 overs.

Earlier, Kuldeep Yadav’s four-wicket burst spearheaded India’s bowling fightback as Pakistan were skittled for just 146.

Opting to field, skipper Suryakumar Yadav’s call proved decisive as his attack recovered strongly after a fiery opening stand.

Pakistan lost six wickets in just 25 balls, including captain Salman Ali Agha and all-rounders Shaheen Afridi and Faheem Ashraf, slumping from 113 for 1 to 134 for 8.

Kuldeep finished with 4 for 30, while Axar Patel (2 for 20), Bumrah (2 for 26), and Chakravarthy (2 for 29) shared the spoils.

Historically, Pakistan and India have faced each other in five tournament finals across various competitions. Pakistan leads this rivalry with three wins, while India has emerged victorious twice.

Speaking at a pre-match press conference, captain Salman expressed confidence in his team, saying: “We’re hopeful of a strong performance in the final. Our goal is to win the cup, and we won’t repeat past mistakes.”

He acknowledged the pressure both teams face and hinted that Pakistan may have saved its best batting for the final. The playing XI, he said, will be finalised after assessing pitch conditions.

Meanwhile, India are missing their key all-rounder Hardik Pandya for the important game.

Teams

India XI: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy

Pakistan XI: Fakhar Zaman, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (capt), Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed