Tilak Varma Named Player of the Match as India Defeat Pakistan in Asia Cup 2025 Final. Indian batter Tilak Varma won the Player of the Match award in the Asia Cup 2025 final. Speaking about the match, Varma revealed that Pakistan players tried to sledge him on the field, but he said the best response was simply winning the game.
India defeated Pakistan by five wickets in a thrilling final on Sunday, September 28, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Chasing a target of 147, Tilak Varma played a match-defining innings, scoring 69 runs* with four sixes and three boundaries. After India lost three early wickets, finding themselves at 20/3 after four overs, Tilak Varmaa steadied the innings. He forged key partnerships, putting on 57 runs with Sanju Samson (24) and 60 runs with Shivam Dube (33), laying the foundation for India’s victory.
Earlier, India’s bowlers restricted Pakistan to 146 runs, with Kuldeep Yadav producing a stunning four-wicket haul to set up the win.
“The Best Reply Was to Win the Match”: Tilak Varma
Tilak Varma was named Player of the Match for his match-winning fifty. In an interview with PTI, the Indian batter revealed that he faced sledging from Pakistan players on the field but felt the best response was to focus on winning.
“There was some pressure and nerves initially. But I always put my country first and wanted to win the match for India. I knew that if I gave in to the pressure, I would be letting myself and 140 crore people down,” Tilak Varma said.
“I trusted the basics I learned as a young cricketer from my coaches and executed them. Winning the match was the best reply, and that’s exactly what we did,” he added.
Tilak Varma also emphasized that he concentrated on his batting and the team’s victory, choosing not to react to the sledging.
“We lost three wickets quickly, and things got a bit intense. I came in to bat earlier than usual, but I didn’t say anything or play a rash shot that could let the team or country down. During the match, my focus was on my basics; I wasn’t there to answer them,” he explained.
“Whatever I wanted to say, I said after the match, not during the game. There were many things happening on the field, but I can’t reveal everything. These moments happen in India vs Pakistan games, and they’re part of the sport. Our focus remained solely on winning,” Tilak Varma added.
The left-handed batter celebrated passionately after guiding India to victory. The Men in Blue dominated Pakistan throughout the tournament, winning all three encounters and remaining unbeaten in seven consecutive games. Abhishek Sharma, who scored a tournament-high 314 runs, was named Player of the Tournament.
