In a nail-biting finale at the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025, Tilak Varma’s composed knock and Kuldeep Yadav’s spin brilliance powered India to a memorable victory over arch-rivals Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday

Chasing a modest target of 147, India held their nerve to cross the finish line in the final over with five wickets in hand. Rinku Singh, playing his first match of the tournament, sealed the win with a boundary over mid-wicket to spark wild celebrations among Indian supporters.

Pakistan Pacers Strike Early

The chase, however, was anything but straightforward. Pakistan’s pace duo of Faheem Ashraf and Shaheen Afridi rattled India’s top order with a fiery opening spell.

• Abhishek Sharma departed early, miscuing a shot to mid-on.
• Skipper Suryakumar Yadav’s poor run continued as Salman Ali Agha plucked a sharp catch to send him back.
• Shubman Gill also fell cheaply for 12, leaving India reeling at 20-3.

With the defending champions in trouble, Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma steadied the innings. The pair stitched together a crucial 58-run stand, mixing composure with calculated aggression. Samson had a stroke of luck when Hussain Talat dropped a sitter in the ninth over but couldn’t capitalize, departing for 24 off 21 balls.

Varma’s Craft and Rauf’s Costly Over

At 77-4 after 13 overs, the game was evenly poised with India still needing 69 runs off 42 balls. Varma, however, anchored the chase smartly, rotating the strike and punishing loose deliveries. Pakistan’s hopes unraveled in the 15th over when Haris Rauf conceded 17 runs, handing the momentum to India. From there, the Men in Blue never looked back.

Tilak Varma’s calm presence at the crease proved decisive, before Rinku Singh applied the finishing touch in style. Faheem Ashraf was the pick of Pakistan’s bowlers with three wickets.

Pakistan’s Collapse After Bright Start

Earlier, Pakistan squandered yet another promising start with a familiar middle-order collapse. Put in to bat, the Green Shirts looked set for a strong total after an 84-run opening stand between Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman.

• Farhan was the aggressor, scoring 57 off 38 balls with five fours and three sixes.
• Fakhar Zaman played a steady hand, making 46 from 35 deliveries.

At 113-1, Pakistan appeared on course for 170-plus. However, once Kuldeep Yadav dismissed Saim Ayub (14 off 10), the innings crumbled. Mohammad Haris fell for a duck, and Fakhar’s attempt to accelerate ended in his dismissal.

From 126-4, the collapse was swift and brutal. Kuldeep Yadav struck thrice in a single over, dismantling the lower order and restricting Pakistan to just 146 in 19.1 overs.

Bowling Heroes

India’s bowlers executed their plans with precision:

• Kuldeep Yadav: 4 wickets, turning the tide with his magical spell.
• Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel & Varun Chakravarthy: 2 wickets each, ensuring no Pakistani batter settled after the openers.