Legendary opener Sunil Gavaskar heaped praise on Tilak Varma after India’s Super 4 Asia Cup 2025 clash against Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday, September 21. Gavaskar noted that Tilak treated Pakistan’s leading bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi like a net-ball spinner, finishing the game with ease.
Tilak, who had scored a quick 31 against Pakistan in the group stage, began slowly after coming in at No. 4, scoring 20 off 17 balls by the 19th over. He then accelerated, hitting a six and a boundary off Afridi to remain unbeaten on 30 from 19 deliveries.
In his column for The Sportstar, the 76-year-old remarked that India’s dominance started with the 105-run opening stand between Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma, setting the tone for a convincing victory.
“When the second match came along, there was an improved batting performance by Pakistan in the first half before the loss of three wickets put them on the back foot again, and despite getting big runs in the final three overs, they were 20 runs shorter than what they would have wanted.”
“India breezed to a win after a delightful opening partnership between Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill that took the breath away and crushed any hopes the Pakistanis had of winning the game. In the end, another super-talented batter, Tilak Varma, treated Pakistan’s premier bowler, Shaheen Shah Afridi, like a net-ball spinner and smashed him around to wrap a win with deliveries to spare.”
Asia Cup Final Could See Another India-Pakistan Showdown
Meanwhile, the two arch-rivals could meet for the third time in the 2025 Asia Cup final on September 28. With India’s impressive form in this T20 tournament, they are expected to defeat Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in their upcoming matches to secure a place in the final.
Pakistan will take on Sri Lanka on Tuesday in a crucial encounter for both teams. If the Men in Green get past Sri Lanka, their clash against Bangladesh will effectively act as a semi-final. A victory over Bangladesh would then set up a much-anticipated final showdown with India.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.
