India celebrated its ninth Asia Cup title in style on Sunday, overpowering Pakistan by five wickets in a pulsating final at the Dubai International Stadium. Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the team’s performance, likening the victory to “Operation Sindoor,” India’s historic military triumph, while Home Minister Amit Shah lauded the side’s fighting spirit against its arch-rivals.
The match turned dramatically thanks to India’s spinners. Pakistan appeared well-placed at 113/1 in the 13th over before collapsing to 146 all out in just 19.1 overs. Kuldeep Yadav led the charge, bouncing back from an expensive start to deliver a devastating spell. Conceding only seven runs in his next two overs, he claimed four wickets, including three in a game-changing 17th over. Axar Patel and Varun Chakaravarthy supported with two wickets apiece, while Jasprit Bumrah picked up crucial strikes at the death to seal Pakistan’s downfall.
Chasing 147, India faced early trouble at 20/3. Abhishek Sharma’s dismissal to Faheem Ashraf, followed by Suryakumar Yadav’s wicket to Shaheen Afridi and Shubman Gill’s miscue, left the team under pressure. But Tilak Varma rose to the occasion, producing an unbeaten 69 off 51 deliveries, decorated with three boundaries and four towering sixes.
Varma forged vital partnerships to steady the innings. He added 57 runs with Sanju Samson and later stitched a 60-run stand with Shivam Dube, who played a brisk knock of 33 in Hardik Pandya’s absence. Dube’s aggressive stroke play, including a massive six, shifted the momentum firmly in India’s favor before falling to Ashraf. Varma’s calmness under pressure ensured the chase stayed on course, and debutant Rinku Singh sealed the win with a boundary off his very first ball.
Earlier, Pakistan’s innings revolved around Sahibzada Farhan, who top-scored with 57 in an 84-run partnership with Fakhar Zaman. However, once Chakaravarthy dismissed Farhan, reckless batting and disciplined Indian bowling sparked a dramatic collapse. Bumrah’s fiery delivery to uproot Haris Rauf’s off stump rekindled memories of their earlier duel in the tournament, and Mohammad Nawaz’s dismissal closed the innings shy of 150.
The emphatic win underlined India’s dominance over Pakistan throughout the tournament and extended their unbeaten streak. As Modi and Shah’s congratulatory posts reflected, the victory carried weight beyond cricket, symbolizing national pride on and off the field.
