Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin lauded Tilak Varma for showing remarkable calmness under pressure during the Asia Cup 2025 final against Pakistan. The young left-hander played a match-winning innings of 69* off 53 balls, earning the Player of the Match award at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, September 28.
Walking in when India was struggling at 20/3 inside four overs, Tilak absorbed the pressure and steadied the chase. He first built a crucial 57-run stand with Sanju Samson to bring stability, before shifting gears alongside Shivam Dube to keep the asking rate in control. With a mix of calculated boundaries and composure, Tilak held his ground till the end, guiding India to victory with two balls remaining.
Ravichandran Ashwin mentioned that Tilak Varma rose to the occasion in India’s middle order in the absence of the injured Hardik Pandya.
“Hardik Pandya was injured, but even without him, we put in a good performance. I was afraid that without him, the middle order might lack experience, and that could cost us the match, and that is why it is important to shed a lot of light on Tilak Varma,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
“When Tilak Varma first came onto the scene in the IPL, everyone thought he was a good player. We all know that he has the skill, but what made Tilak Varma stand out, was the composure that he had. He finishes while chasing and has been fabulous for India,” he added.
Ashwin Praises Tilak Varma’s Composure After Crucial Knock Against Sri Lanka in Super 4s
Tilak Varma had also delivered for India in their previous Super 4 clash against Sri Lanka, where he remained unbeaten on 49 off 34 balls to guide the team to a strong total of 202/5. Ashwin pointed out that the youngster found it difficult to settle in at first but praised him for maintaining his calm and handling the pressure effectively.
“When Tilak Varma came out to bat in a tricky situation, it was difficult to face the new ball in the power play. He tried to play the backfoot punch, the drive, and the flick, but was not able to rotate the strike. But he read the pace of the wicket, stayed completely in a composed manner, and he played the shot of the day, in my opinion.”
“Everyone will speak about his sixes off Haris Rauf, but he played a punch off Faheem Ashraf’s bowling between cover and mid off, and after that, he was on a roll,” Ashwin elaborated.
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