PAK VS IND FINAL

Simon Doull informs us that the Asian Cricket Council has conveyed that the Indian cricket team will not be collecting their awards tonight. That concludes the presentation ceremony and draws the curtains on this year’s Asia Cup. It is the 9th title for the Men in Blue, who have further extended their dominance in the continental event. As for Pakistan, the wait for their third Asia Cup crown continues, with their last title in this tournament coming in 2012. We hope you enjoyed our coverage of the Asia Cup as much as we enjoyed bringing it to you. Until next time, take care and goodbye!

Abhishek Sharma is the PLAYER OF THE SERIES for his consistent showing. He amassed 314 runs in the tournament. Starts by sharing that getting into the team after winning the T20 World Cup wasn't easy as an opener. Details that they had a plan about playing in a certain way with intent from the very first ball. Says that if you play an aggressive brand of cricket, you are going to fail sometimes, but stresses sticking to the process. Shares that he had a plan on adjusting to different surfaces and utilising the Powerplay, be it against a pacer or a spinner.

It is now time for the members of the Pakistan team to receive their runners-up medals. Salman Agha collects his medal and the runners-up cheque. The Pakistan skipper walks up for a chat with Simon Doull. He admits it is a tough pill to swallow and says they did not finish well with the bat. Salman praises the bowlers for being outstanding and giving everything they could. Believes that when India needed 64 runs from 6 overs, he felt that they had the game under control. Agha points out that the batting struggled to rotate the strike properly and stresses the need to sort that out quickly. Still, he shares that he is very proud of the boys, adds that there is so much to look forward to, and believes they will come back stronger.

Tilak Varma is the PLAYER OF THE FINAL for his match-winning, unbeaten knock of 69 runs from 53 balls. Tilak says that he just wanted to stay in the middle and finish the game. Admits that the Pakistani bowlers were bowling well and varied their pace, but shares that he just tried to keep calm and finish the game for his country. Appreciates the way Samson and Dube batted under pressure. Tells that they have prepared for every situation and stresses that you need to be flexible to bat at any position and says he was ready for the challenge. Adds that he was backing his game. Details that the wicket was on the slower side and he discussed with Gautam Gambhir on how to rotate the strike. Calls this as the most special knock of his life. Dedicates this win to all the Indians.

After a long wait, it is finally time for the presentation ceremony. First up, the match officials of the final will receive their mementoes.

Rest assured, there is plenty of cricketing action in the meantime. The Nepal-West Indies T20I series continues with the second T20I on 29th September. The Asian side is leading 1-0 after scripting a historic win in the opener. The Women’s World Cup gets underway on 30th September, with hosts India facing Sri Lanka in the tournament curtain-raiser. Adding to the excitement, a marquee T20I series between Trans-Tasman rivals Australia and New Zealand begins on 1st October.

The presentation ceremony is taking longer than expected to get underway. Most of the stands have emptied out, with only a small section of fans still waiting patiently. It has been about an hour since the winning runs were hit. While we await the start of the ceremony, let’s take a look at what lies ahead for these two sides. For India, attention now turns to the start of their home season, with a Test series against the West Indies beginning on 2nd October. Pakistan, meanwhile, will welcome South Africa for an all-format series that gets underway with the Tests from 12th October.

Pakistan will be left wondering what could have been. There did not seem to be any dew, and the two-paced nature of the pitch really messed with the batters’ timing. With an 84-run opening stand setting such a strong platform, the result could have been very different had they capitalised on that early advantage. After being asked to bat first, Sahibzada Farhan swung like a rusty gate early on, but soon found his rhythm to reach his second consecutive fifty against India. Following his dismissal, Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub attempted to maintain momentum, and the score looked promising at 113/1. However, from that point, things fell apart. None of the incoming batters gave themselves time at the crease, and Pakistan suffered a self-inflicted collapse, losing 9 wickets for just 33 runs and were folded inside the 20 overs. Kuldeep Yadav stood out for India with figures of 4 for 30 from his 4 overs, with 3 of those wickets coming in his final over of the night. Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy and Axar Patel played their part with two wickets apiece.

It seemed to be a boiling point, with something needing to give from India’s perspective. However, Salman Agha moved away from spin and brought Haris Rauf back into the attack. The move backfired as Rauf's over went for 17 runs. Not only that, but Abrar Ahmed, who had been bowling so well, had a change of end, and the leggie ended up conceding 11 runs in that over. From there, the partnership between Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube wrested control. Though Shaheen Afridi managed a quiet over and Faheem Ashraf did his job in the 19th over, India were left needing 10 runs to win in the final over. Rauf, who had a torrid night, returned to bowl, but Tilak and Rinku guided India over the line.

With 147 runs to chase, India got off to a wobbly start. Abhishek Sharma fell early, giving Pakistan the early lift they were looking for. The situation worsened as Suryakumar Yadav and Shubman Gill perished while trying to force the pace, even though the size of the target did not demand it. Reduced to 20 for 3 inside the Powerplay, Tilak Varma and Sanju Samson joined forces and managed to bring some calm to the proceedings with a 57-run stand. The required run rate hovered around 9 during their partnership, and following the departure of Sanju, Pakistan pushed it close to 11.

Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy are the next ones who have caught up with Sanjay Manjrekar. Yadav says it is very important to bowl in the middle overs and says that it is a luxury to have someone like Varun in the side and that he enjoys bowling with him. Mentions that everyone has a different role in the team. Highlights that Pakistan started off pretty well, but shares that they knew if they could get a couple of wickets quickly, then it wouldn't be easy for the new batter to come in and score runs. Varun shares that it feels really great. Points that Fakhar and Farhan were batting well, but he had some plans for them, and it worked out in a way. Details that Kuldeep came in and chipped in with a wicket, which gave him the memories of KKR winning. Shares that going by the trends, they went berserk in the first ten overs but points that they knew if they bowled in the right areas, they could actually curtail them down. Kuldeep then shares that he tried to take wickets from the very first ball, and also shares that before the match, Hari Prasad Mohan sent the screenshots about the lengths where they needed to bowl. Varun then credits Hari Prasad Mohan, India's performance analyst, for doing a lot of hard work behind the scenes.

Sanju Samson is up next for a chat. He says he really enjoyed the pressure out there. Tells that he had to watch the ball and react, and calm his nerves down. Highlights that he had a good partnership with Tilak and really enjoyed batting with him. Shares that the game dictates what type of cricket you need to play. Says that he has learnt that you need to respect the conditions and situation out there. Details that he was just trying to time the ball well and this is what helped him massively. On being asked whether he enjoyed a close final, Samson says close games really test your character and you get to test your mental ability as well. Calls it a very crucial victory before the T20 World Cup next year.

India's vice-captain, Shubman Gill shares that it feels amazing to win the tournament, having remained unbeaten throughout. States that he and Abhishek know each other inside out. Batting with him is amazing, he says, as Abhishek takes the pressure off the non-striker. Tells that after losing three wickets in the Powerplay, the plan was to take the innings as deep as possible and praises Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson and Shivam Dube for the way they batted.

India's bowling coach, Morne Morkel is up next. Praises the team for a special performance. Mentions that they were slightly behind in the chase after the Powerplay but adapted well to the conditions. He highlights Shivam Dube’s bowling in the Powerplay as particularly impressive. Adds that the practice sessions were focused, and the players knew how to prepare themselves. Shares that it was very hot in Dubai, so recovery was important. Reckons that in the final, it was about who handled the conditions and pressure best.

Time to hear from a few members of the winning side. Rinku Singh is the first one up for a chat with Sanjay Manjrekar. He says that he just wanted to contribute to the team and is glad that he got the chance to hit the winning runs. Mentions that everyone knows that he is a finisher and shares that it didn't matter where the ball pitched, he would have gone after it anyway. Ends by expressing his happiness that it feels great to finish the game for the team.

India are the 2025 Asia Cup champions! Glory in the desert for the Men in Blue as fireworks light up the Ring of Fire. Heartbreak for Pakistan, who fought tooth and nail and played their part in a grand finale that lived up to its billing. The game ebbed and flowed, but India managed to emerge victorious to clinch their ninth Asia Cup title.

FOUR! RINKU SINGH FINISHES IT OFF IN STYLE! Hard-length delivery, around off. Rinku Singh keeps his calm, stays in the crease, swings with a flat bat, and smashes it over mid on for a boundary. Tilak Varma, the real architect of this chase, removes his helmet, lets out a huge roar, and hugs Rinku Singh. The party starts in the Indian dressing room. INDIA WIN THE ASIA CUP 2025! The crowd is up on its feet as India lift the trophy for the ninth time in their twelfth final appearance!

SCORES ARE LEVEL NOW! Back of a length, around off. Tilak Varma waits back and punches it to the left of mid off and steals a quick single.