Mumbai, September 29: Former all-rounder Irfan Pathan hailed Tilak Verma for guiding India to a wicket victory against Pakistan in the Finals of the Asia Cup at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai and said the "calm" and "composed" Tilak Verma just played a Virat Kohli-like knock. In pursuit of a 147-run target, India's top-order faltered and withered at 20/3 in the fourth over of the powerplay. Tilak Varma steadied the world champions' sinking ship and injected the much-needed impetus to drive India past the finishing line. Pakistan's Sahibzada Farhan Becomes First to Hammer Three Sixes off Indian Pacer Jasprit Bumrah, Achieves Feat During IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2025 Final Match.

He maintained the flow of runs with Sanju Samson and upped the ante with Shivam Dube to knock Pakistan off the perch. He arrived at his 4th T20I half-century in 41 balls and returned unbeaten on 69(53) as the world champions basked in the Asia Cup glory with a five-wicket triumph. The way Tilak controlled the tempo, Pathan saw the shades of 'Chase Master' Virat and wrote on X.

Irfan Pathan Hails Tilak Varma

With another post, he highlighted the difference between the two neighbouring nations and added.

 Irfan Pathan Lauds Team India

India's former gun fielder Mohammad Kaif was impressed by Tilak's consistency and wrote on X

Mohammad Kaif Hails Tilak Varma

Former India captain and ex-BCCI president Sourav Ganguly extended wishes to the Indian team and wrote on X.

Sourav Ganguly Hails Team India

Head of Cricket at Centre of Excellence, VVS Laxman, underscored India's victory holds more significance than just lifting the trophy and wrote on X.

VVS Laxman Lauds Team India

Coming to the match, India won the toss and elected to field first. An 84-run stand between Sahidzada Farhan (57 in 38 balls, with four boundaries and three sixes) and Fakhar Zaman (46 in 35 balls, with two fours and two sixes) gave Pakistan the headstart they needed.

However, thanks to the magic of spinners Kuldeep Yadav (4/30) and Varun Chakravarthy (2/30) in the middle overs, Pakistan faced a collapse from 113/1 in 12.4 overs to 146 all out in 19.1 overs, with Jasprit Bumrah (2/25) also getting the final two wickets. IND vs PAK, Asia Cup 2025 Final: Trophy Row Overshadows India’s Triumph Over Pakistan As Suryakumar Yadav Reveals Shock Snub.

During the run-chase, India sank to 20/3 due to an initial burst from Faheem Ashraf (3/29). However, Tilak Varma (69* in 53 balls, with three fours and four sixes), stitched a 57-run stand with Sanju Samson (24 in 21 balls, with two fours and a six) to bring India back into the game.

Shivam Dube (33 in 22 balls, with two fours and two sixes) delivered some carnage with Tilak, solidifying India's hold on the game despite some occasional brilliance from Pakistan. In the end, it was Rinku Singh, who was featuring in his first Asia Cup match, who got the chance to hit the winning runs on the first ball.

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)