Hyderabad: Indian batter Tilak Varma agreed with captain Suryakumar Yadav’s statement that Pakistan is no competition for India.
Varma shared his experience of facing pressure during the Asia Cup final against Pakistan, stating, A lot was going on in my mind, but the country is above everything else.
Varma’s match-winning knock of 69* off 53 balls played a crucial role in India’s fifth-wicket win over Pakistan, securing the Asia Cup 2025 title.
“I agree with what Surya bhai (Surya Kumar Yadav) said, that it (Pakistan) is no competition. But we change our strategy from match to match…There indeed was pressure; a lot was going on in my mind. But the country is above everything else. India is at the top. So, I was determined to give everything for my country. I tried to be calm,” Tilak Varma told the media.
Suryakumar-led Team India continues its rampaging run in T20Is, having won 18 T20Is and lost just two and tied two ever since Suryakumar first wore the captaincy armband.
Coming to the Asia Cup final, India won the toss and elected to field first. An 84-run stand between Sahidzada Farhan (57 in 38 balls, with four boundaries and three sixes) and Fakhar Zaman (46 in 35 balls, with two fours and two sixes) gave Pakistan the headstart they needed.
However, thanks to the magic of spinners Kuldeep Yadav (4/30) and Varun Chakravarthy (2/30) in the middle overs, Pakistan faced a collapse from 113/1 in 12.4 overs to 146 all out in 19.1 overs, with Bumrah (2/25) also getting the final two wickets.
During the run-chase, India sank to 20/3 due to an initial burst from Faheem Ashraf (3/29). However, Tilak Varma (69* in 53 balls, with three fours and four sixes) stitched a 57-run stand with Sanju Samson (24 in 21 balls, with two fours and a six) to bring India back into the game.
Shivam Dube (33 in 22 balls, with two fours and two sixes) delivered some carnage with Tilak, solidifying India’s hold on the game despite some occasional brilliance from Pakistan. In the end, it was Rinku Singh, who was featuring in his first Asia Cup match, who got the chance to hit the winning runs on the first ball.
(Source: ANI)
