Following his spectacular match-winning effort in the Asia Cup 2025 final, Indian cricketer Tilak Varma received a warm felicitation from Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Tuesday. During the meeting, CM Reddy lauded Varma’s outstanding performance against Pakistan in Dubai. The young batter presented a cricket bat to the Chief Minister, who playfully mimicked a batting stance with it. The ceremony was also attended by State Sports Minister Vakiti Srihari and several other prominent sports officials.
Recalling the intense atmosphere of the high-stakes final, Varma, speaking to reporters earlier, revealed the immense pressure he felt. “There was a lot of pressure and nerves in my body. A lot was going on in my mind,” he stated. The 22-year-old emphasized his commitment to the nation, explaining, “In my mind and heart, I thought that whatever I do, I will give my life for the country. If I am under pressure and fail, I am not just bringing myself down, I am bringing down 140 crore people.” To counter this, he focused on staying composed, a habit he’s cultivated since childhood to “be calm and execute everything in my mind.”
During the Asia Cup final, India faced an early setback with the swift dismissals of crucial top-order batters like Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Suryakumar Yadav. However, Tilak Varma stepped up valiantly, delivering an unbeaten 69 runs that proved pivotal in guiding India to a five-wicket victory and securing their record ninth Asia Cup title. Varma acknowledged the challenging pitch conditions and credited strong partnerships, particularly with Shivam Dube, for India’s comeback. He proudly stated, “The wicket was not that easy for batting. As soon as we came back, we won the game by building a partnership. That is the quality of India.”
Commenting on the intense rivalry with Pakistan, Varma hinted at verbal tactics employed by the opposing team. “Pakistan always tries to distract the players. A lot of things happened when I was batting, but I can’t tell you on camera,” he revealed. He added that such exchanges are common in India-Pakistan encounters, noting, “we say a lot of things in the middle of the game.” For Varma, however, the ultimate response was victory: “But the real answer is when you win the match. That’s what I had to do, and I did it.”
Varma’s passionate post-match celebrations, where he jubilantly pumped his fists and shouted enthusiastically after Rinku Singh struck the winning boundary, quickly became a viral moment, capturing the elation of India’s triumph.