India continued their dominant run in the 2025 Men’s T20 Asia Cup, securing a commanding six-wicket win over Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday. This thrilling victory saw India successfully chase down a target of 172 with seven balls to spare, marking their highest successful chase against their fierce rivals in T20 Internationals.
The architect of India’s chase was undoubtedly Abhishek Sharma, who lit up the stadium with an explosive 74 runs off just 39 deliveries. His fiery innings dismantled Pakistan’s bowling attack from the very first ball, setting the tone with a sensational six off Shaheen Shah Afridi. Sharma, alongside Shubman Gill (47 off 28 balls), forged an impressive 105-run opening partnership, putting India firmly in control.
However, it was the composed and mature knock from Tilak Varma that ultimately sealed the contest. Coming to the crease after Suryakumar Yadav’s dismissal in the 11th over, the 22-year-old left-hander remained unbeaten with 30 runs off just 19 balls. Varma wrapped up the game in style, flicking a low full toss from Afridi to the boundary, much to the delight of the Indian dugout. His calm demeanor and match-winning contribution earned him the highly coveted ‘Impact Player of the Match’ award within the team.
Reflecting on his performance, Varma shared, “I was keen to finish the game in the last two matches as well, but it didn’t happen. Tonight, my moment arrived. I will continue to strive until the end of the tournament, and as ‘Gauti sir’ (Gautam Gambhir) always says, we’ll keep learning and pushing forward until the World Cup.”
The award was presented to Varma by training assistant Raghavindraa D, a dedicated training specialist with the team. Raghavindraa’s encouraging words before the presentation further galvanized the players after their hard-fought victory.
India’s next challenge in the tournament will be against Bangladesh, scheduled for Wednesday, September 24.