Aisa cup

Dubai International Stadium: India bowling coach Morne Morkel hailed his team’s resilience and composure after they held their nerve to beat Pakistan by five wickets in a gripping Asia Cup 2025 final at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, clinching their ninth title in the Continental competition.

The night ultimately belonged to 21-year-old Tilak Varma, who anchored India’s chase with an unbeaten 69 off 51 balls. Walking in at 20/3, he struck three fours and four sixes in a knock full of poise and precision, stitching vital partnerships with Sanju Samson (24) and Shivam Dube (33) to guide India home with two balls to spare.

“Special performance by the boys tonight. We were slightly behind the game in the second innings. Not our best Power-play with the bat. The guys summed up the conditions with the ball. Nice opportunity for (Shivam) Dube, and he set the tone beautifully, and what a way to finish with the bat,” Morkel said at the post-match presentation.