Team India defeated arch-rivals Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 final at the Dubai International Stadium. Tilak Varma was the architect of India`s run chase in the second innings.
Facing 53 deliveries, the left-hander delivered a match-winning knock of 69 runs, which was laced with three boundaries and four maximums.
Speaking about his knock, he said that he tried not to succumb to the pressure, which in turn would have let down the hopes of 140 crore countrymen.
“There was some pressure and nerves initially. But I have placed my country ahead of everything else and I wanted to win the match for the country. I knew if I succumbed to the pressure at that time I would be letting down myself and 140 crore people of the country,” said Varma.
During the match, there were a few heated moments with Pakistan`s team, and the left-hander said the best way to reply to the sledging was to win the match.
“I believed in the basics that I learned as a young cricketer from my coaches and executed it. The best reply to them was to win the match and that`s what we did,” he added.
When asked about the verbal exchanges he had with the Pakistani players, Tilak remained tight-lipped by saying the team`s focus was on winning the match.
“During the match, I was just focusing on my basics, I was not ready to answer them. Whatever I want to tell them I told them after the match and not when the game was going on. There were a lot of things happening in the middle but I can`t reveal all of them. Those things happen in India vs Pakistan matches and they are part of the game. But our focus was on winning the match,” said the 22-year-old cricketer.
However, during the match, Tilak stitched two crucial partnerships with Shivam Dube and Sanju Samson. Later, Rinku Singh scored the winning runs by smashing a boundary in Haris Rauf`s over.
With this, the “Men in Blue” clinched the title by defeating Pakistan by five wickets.
(With PTI Inputs)