In a thrilling encounter at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, India edged past Pakistan by five wickets to lift their record ninth Asia Cup title. The high-voltage final saw momentum swings, exceptional comebacks, and individual brilliance, ultimately culminating in India's triumph.
Pakistan, after winning the toss and being put into bat, got off to a flying start, courtesy of their opening pair Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman. The duo stitched together a formidable 84-run partnership in under 10 overs, laying a solid foundation for a substantial total. Farhan was the aggressor, reaching his half-century quickly, while Zaman provided steady support. However, India's spin trio, comprising Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, and Axar Patel, triggered a collapse, tightening the screws on Pakistan.
Chakaravarthy broke the opening partnership by removing Farhan, which brought India back into the game. Kuldeep then struck to dismiss Saim Ayub, and Chakaravarthy added Fakhar to his tally, denting Pakistan's top order. Kuldeep Yadav, who initially had a expensive start, returned to pick up four wickets in his final two overs, finishing with an impressive figure of 4/30. Pakistan suffered a shocking collapse, losing their last nine wickets for a mere 33 runs and were eventually bowled out for 146 in 19.1 overs.
Chasing a target of 147, India faced early setbacks, losing three wickets inside the powerplay. Faheem Ashraf and Shaheen Afridi rattled the Indian top order, reducing them to 20/3 within four overs. However, Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma displayed resilience and composure, steadying the chase with a 57-run partnership. Talat dropped Samson on 12, which proved to be a costly miss for Pakistan. After Samson's dismissal, Shivam Dube joined Varma, and the duo forged a crucial 50-run partnership, providing support with timely boundaries.
Tilak Varma remained unfazed, bringing up a composed half-century. With 10 runs required off the final over, bowled by Haris Rauf, Varma sealed the victory in style, launching a six to take India across the finish line. Varma remained not out on 69 off 53 balls, while Dube contributed a valuable 33 off 22 balls. Kuldeep Yadav was named the player of the match for his outstanding bowling performance.
India's victory was a result of exceptional comebacks in both innings. The game saw momentum shifts as Pakistan dominated the first 10 overs with the bat, but India fought back with their spinners to restrict Pakistan to a below-par total. India's batting innings saw a shaky start but was revived by Varma and Dube's partnership.
