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<p class="pf0"><span class="cf0">Team India defeated arch-rivals Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 final at the Dubai International Stadium. <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/cricket/article/asia-cup-2025-team-india-tilak-varma-opens-up-on-his-match-winning-knock-in-final-against-pakistan-23596289" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"><strong>Tilak Varma</strong></a> was the architect of India's run chase in the second innings.</span></p>
<p class="pf0"><span class="cf0">Facing 53 deliveries, the left-hander delivered a match-winning knock of 69 runs, which were laced with three boundaries and four maximums.</span></p>
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<div class="whitespace-pre-wrap">Speaking about his knock, Varma said that he tried not to succumb to the pressure as 140 crore Indians would have felt let down.</div>
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<div class="z-0 flex justify-end">"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.</div>
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<p class="pf0"><span class="cf0">During the match, there were a few heated moments with <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/cricket/article/asia-cup-2025-salman-ali-agha-breaks-silence-on-no-handshake-row-with-team-india-23596199" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"><strong>Pakistan</strong></a>'s team, and the left-hander said the best way to reply to the sledging was winning the match.</span></p>
<p class="pf0"><span class="cf0">"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.</span></p>
<p class="pf0"><span class="cf0">When asked about the verbal exchanges he had with the Pakistani players, Tilak remained tight-lipped, stating that the team's focus was on winning the match.</span></p>
<p class="pf0"><span class="cf0">"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.</span></p>
<p class="pf0">During the match, Varma stitched two crucial partnerships with Shivam Dube and Sanju Samson. Later, Rinku Singh scored the winning runs by smashing a boundary in <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/cricket/article/asia-cup-2025-pakistan-pacer-haris-rauf-opens-up-on-delayed-start-against-uae-23594600" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"><strong>Haris Rauf</strong></a>'s over.</p>
<p class="pf0">With this, the "Men in Blue" clinched the title by defeating Pakistan by five wickets. The defeat in the final also marked Pakistan third loss against Team India in the same tournament.</p>
<p class="pf0"><em><strong>(With PTI Inputs)</strong></em></p>
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Asia Cup 2025: In 53 deliveries, Tilak Varma delivered a match-winning knock of 69 runs, which were laced with three boundaries and four sixes against Pakistan

Asia Cup 2025 | 'I have placed my country ahead of everything else': Tilak Varma on 69-run knock against Pakistan

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Facing 53 deliveries, the 22-year-old delivered the match-winning knock, which was laced with three boundaries and four maximums, against the arch-rivals in the Asia Cup 2025 final on September 28

Asia Cup 2025: Tilak Varma reveals motivation behind 69-run knock against Pakistan

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