IND vs PAK, Asia Cup 2025 Final: 5 Talking Points from India’s Thrilling Victory over Pakistan

India beat Pakistan by 5 wickets to win their 9th Asia Cup,  chasing 147. Kuldeep Yadav led a strong bowling effort, Tilak Varma’s unbeaten 69 anchored the chase, and the team boycotted the post-match presentation ceremony amid off-field tensions.

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India Successfully Defend Asia Cup Crown

Team India’s unbeaten run in the Asia Cup 2025 successfully culminated in defending their triumph by defeating Pakistan in the high-stakes final at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, September 28. The Men in Blue defeated Pakistan by five wickets to lift their record-extending ninth Asia Cup title.

With a 147-run target, Team India chased it down in 19.4 overs, thanks to vital contributions from Tilak Varma (69*), Shivam Dube (33), and Sanju Samson (24). When the Men in Blue needed just 1 run off 3 balls to win the final, Rinku Singh hit a winning four to take the team through the finishing line.

As the Men in Blue successfully defended their Asia Cup crown, let’s take a look at five key takeaways from India’s victory in the high-stakes title clash.

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1. Collective Bowling Effort

Team India’s bowlers put in a collective effort to prevent Pakistan from posting a big total, with disciplined spells after the powerplay, which was dominated by openers Sahibzada Farhan (57) and Fakhar Zaman (46). When Varun Chakravarthy ended Farhan and Zaman’s 84-run stand for the opening wicket by dismissing the latter, things began to tilt in India’s favour, as Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Jasprit Bumrah chipped in by taking crucial wickets at regular intervals and bundled out Pakistan for 146.

Kuldeep emerged as the top bowler for the Men in Blue as he registered figures of 4/30 at an economy rate of 7.50 in his spell of overs, while Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, and Axar Patel picked two wickets each. Kuldeep completed 17 wickets, the most by any bowler in a single edition of the Asia Cup T20.

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2. Rare Failure by Abhishek Sharma

Abhishek Sharma’s impressive run of form came to an halt in the Asia Cup 2025 Final. Having led India’s batting in the run chase or setting the tone at the top with his firepower and recording three consecutive fifties of the tournament, the southpaw failed to deliver in the most important of all, falling for just five runs off six balls.

This was a rare failure by Abhishek as he registered his first single-digit score in the tournament after scoring three consecutive 30+ scores before three fifties on the trot, underlining just how consistent he had been throughout the Asia Cup. He finished the tournament as the highest run-getter with 314 runs, including 3 fifties, at an average of 44.86 in seven matches. He was adjudged the Player of the Tournament award.

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3. Suryakumar Yadav’s Batting Struggle under Scrutiny

India T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav has endured a sluggish run of form in the recently concluded Asia Cup 2025. Though he led the Men in Blue to defend the Asia Cup title without losing a single match throughout the tournament, his personal returns with the bat remained underwhelming. Suryakumar was expected to step up for India after losing an early wicket of Abhishek Sharma at 7/1.

However, India's skipper faltered under pressure and mistimed his toss as he was dismissed for 1 run, leaving the defending champions reeling at 10/2. In seven matches, Suryakumar Yadav aggregated only 72 runs at an average of 18, raising serious questions about his form and shot selection despite his success as a leader.

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4. Tilak Varma’s Rescue Act

As Indian cricket fans were expecting Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, or Suryakumar Yadav to deliver their best, Tilak Varma rose to the occasion when he was needed the most by the team with a calm and composed knock under pressure. Though India were struggling after the fall of Shubman Gill’s wicket at 20/3, Tilak steadied the team’s ship with an unbeaten knock of 69 off 53 balls.

The southpaw’s crucial 57-run stand for the fourth wicket with Sanju Samson (24) and then a 60-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Shivam Dube (33), allowed India to gradually rebuild the innings, absorb the pressure, and inch closer to the target, ultimately clinching a five-wicket win.

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5. India Boycott Presentation Ceremony

Though India’s victory over Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 final caught the attention of the cricketing world, what became one of the major talking points was the Men in Blue boycotting the presentation ceremony as they refused to accept the trophy from PCB and ACC Chief Mohsin Naqvi, citing off-field tensions and controversies between the boards. After Kuldeep Yadav, Tilak Varma, and Abhishek Sharma collected their awards, India did not collect medals from the Naqvi, nor did Suryakumar Yadav give his post-final presentation.

However, after Mohsin Naqvi left the dais, India had their own mock trophy celebration on the ground, with Suryakumar Yadav leading the team in lifting an imaginary cup, celebrating their triumph on the field. The Asia Cup trophy was sent back after India opted not to take it from PCB chairman.