BCCI Vice-President Rajiv Shukla shared his profound confidence in the Indian cricket team, stating he always believed the Men in Blue would lift the Asia Cup 2025 trophy. India achieved this by defeating Pakistan by five wickets in a thrilling final held in Dubai on Sunday. This victory marked India`s second T20I Asia Cup title and their ninth overall, encompassing both T20I and ODI editions.
Under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav, the Indian squad has maintained a formidable run in T20 Internationals. Since Suryakumar first took on the captaincy, the team has recorded an impressive 18 wins, with only two losses and two tied matches.
Following India`s triumph over Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 final, Rajeev Shukla told ANI:
“I always had faith in the Indian Cricket Team. We are Asia Cup Champions.”
Delving into the final match details, India won the toss and opted to field first. Pakistan initiated their innings strongly, largely due to an 84-run partnership between Sahidzada Farhan (57 runs off 38 balls, including four boundaries and three sixes) and Fakhar Zaman (46 runs off 35 balls, with two fours and two sixes), providing them with a crucial early momentum.
However, India`s spinners, Kuldeep Yadav (4/30) and Varun Chakravarthy (2/30), turned the tide with their exceptional bowling in the middle overs. Their “magic” triggered a significant Pakistani batting collapse, as they crumbled from a strong position of 113/1 in 12.4 overs to being all out for 146 in 19.1 overs. Jasprit Bumrah (2/25) also contributed by taking the final two wickets.
The run-chase for India began precariously, as they found themselves at 20/3 following an early burst of wickets by Faheem Ashraf. Nevertheless, Tilak Varma (an unbeaten 69 off 53 balls, featuring three fours and four sixes) played a pivotal role in stabilizing the innings. He forged a vital 57-run partnership with Sanju Samson (24 off 21 balls, with two fours and a six), bringing India back into contention.
Subsequently, Shivam Dube (33 off 22 balls, including two fours and two sixes) joined Tilak, unleashing an aggressive scoring spree. This partnership further solidified India`s hold on the game, despite some intermittent brilliance from the Pakistani side. Ultimately, it was Rinku Singh, making his debut in the Asia Cup, who had the distinguished opportunity to hit the winning runs on the very first ball he faced, sealing India`s memorable victory.
