Tilak Varma: Winning Asia Cup 2025 was the Best Response to Pakistan's Sledging

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Tilak Varma expressed that winning the Asia Cup 2025 was the perfect response to a challenging opponent. He shared how he managed early pressure and verbal exchanges from Pakistan players during his match-winning half-century in the final.

Tilak's unbeaten 69 led India to a five-wicket victory over their rivals in Dubai last Sunday (September 28).

Tilak faced initial nerves but prioritised his country above all else, aiming to secure victory for India. "There was some pressure and nerves initially. But I have placed my country ahead of everything else and I wanted to win the match for the country. I knew If I succumbed to the pressure at that time I would be letting down myself and 140 crore people of the country," Tilak stated upon returning from Dubai.

Focus on Basics Amidst Sledging

Despite intense sledging from Pakistan players, Tilak remained silent during India's chase of 147 runs. He focused on his basics, learned from his coaches, to guide his performance. "I believed in the basics that I learned as a young cricketer from my coaches and executed it. The best reply to them was to win the match and that's what we did," he added.

Tilak came to bat earlier than usual after India lost three quick wickets, maintaining composure under pressure. He refrained from rash shots, knowing it could let down both his team and country. "I came to bat a bit earlier than normal. But I did not say anything or play a rash shot, as it would have let the team and country down then," he said.

Calm Under Pressure

In the final over, India needed 10 runs off Haris Rauf's bowling, but Tilak remained calm. "I was calm under pressure in the last over. I knew that I will win the game. I was just thinking about my country and was focussing on one ball at a time," he explained.

Tilak rated this innings as one of his best, alongside an unbeaten 72 against England in Chennai. "I would rate this as one of the best innings. Along with this, I could also rate one more innings which I played earlier in Chennai against England an unbeaten 72 that steered India to a two-wicket win," he mentioned.

Partnerships on a Challenging Pitch

India's victory was attributed to building partnerships on a difficult pitch. Tilak acknowledged Surya Kumar Yadav's view of no rivalry but noted their preparedness for Pakistan's tactics in the final. "We were expecting that and we were prepared when they took the pace off the ball and the pitch was also not easy to bat on," he noted.

Despite comparisons to Virat Kohli, Tilak remains focused on winning matches for India. "It is always a matter of pride when you get spoken in the same breath as a legend like Virat bhai. But my focus is just winning the matches for the country," he said.

Aiming for T20 World Cup Success

Looking ahead, Tilak aims for success in next year's T20 World Cup at home. "I am happy that I could make India win the Asia Cup... The T20 World Cup is going to take place soon. That is my real aim," he added.

Tilak credited his childhood coaches for shaping his career, expressing gratitude for their support during his early years at Legala Cricket Academy. "Everyone knows my name now... But when nobody knew me, my coaches were with me... Special thanks to the Hyderabad Cricket Association and the BCCI for giving me this opportunity," he concluded.

With inputs from PTI