India sealed its ninth Asia Cup with a five-wicket win over Pakistan, chasing 147 after an early collapse. Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, and Shivam Dube starred in the chase. Coach Gautam Gambhir summed it up: “In the end, INTENT always wins!”
Head coach Gautam Gambhir had a simple message filled with “intent” after India’s five-wicket win over Pakistan in the Asia Cup final at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. After India became the Asian champions, Gambhir sent a clear message, writing on Instagram, “In the end, INTENT always wins!”
Unlike their previous two encounters, India had to put in a lot of effort to clinch the title for the ninth time in the tournament’s history. While pursuing a 147-run target, India were jolted early with the top-order perishing inside the powerplay, leaving the Suryakumar Yadav-led side threadbare at 20/3 in 4 overs.
Tilak Varma steadied the world champions’ sinking ship and injected the much-needed impetus to drive India past the finishing line. Sanju Samson (24 off 21) and Shivam Dube (33 off 22) chipped in with valuable contributions to ensure India gunned down the target in the final over and clinched the title on an unbeaten note.
Jay Shah, Rajeev Shukla, and Sourav Ganguly laud India
The International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman Jay Shah extended his heartfelt wishes to skipper Suryakumar Yadav and his team and wrote on X, “Congratulations to #TeamIndia on lifting the Asia Cup 2025! A proud moment for Indian cricket as Team India showcases excellence, consistency, and character on the biggest stage. Kudos to the players and support staff for a stellar campaign.”
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice-president Rajeev Shukla was impressed by Tilak’s stellar display and wrote on X, “The undefeated champions of ASIA. Congratulations, Team India, on a dominating win and 3-0 against Pak. Marvellous display by Tilak Verma and @imkuldeep18. A great show under pressure.”
Former BCCI President and captain Sourav Ganguly expressed his delight and wrote on X, “Well done India on a great nite ..under pressure a much better team with the ball and then with the bat .. These young boys are brilliant.” (ANI)