India vs Pakistan, Final - Live Cricket Score, Commentary

And with that, we bring the curtains down on the Asia Cup 2025. Thank you for joining us on this journey. This is Akshay Maanay, signing off on behalf of MS Ramakrishnan, Kumar Abhisekh Das and our ever-reliable scorer Mukesh HS. Until we meet again, stay safe, stay well, and keep celebrating the game we all love. Goodbye.

So, India march through yet another multi-nation tournament unscathed, unbeaten, and unbowed. In this format, they are not just contenders, they are a benchmark. Their depth is unparalleled, their resilience unmatched. Even without their talismanic all-rounder Hardik, even with Arshdeep stepping aside for balance and Dube entrusted with greater responsibility, India found a way. They clawed back with the ball, and when the pressure was at its fiercest, their middle order stood tall and delivered. Pakistan, to their credit, showed character after two lopsided defeats in the group stage, but when it came to the big final, they simply did not have the firepower to unseat this formidable Indian juggernaut.

The Indian team pose for the cameras without their medals or trophy. Suryakumar Yadav does a Rohit Sharma like slow walk (the Ric Flair walk) (after Rohit won the 2024 T20 World Cup) and then mock-lifts the trophy while giving a pose for the cameras. This was a plan which was made by Arshdeep and Hardik.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have been informed by the Asian Cricket Council that the Indian cricket team will not be collecting their awards tonight. So that does conclude the post-match presentation," informs Simon Doull. There will be no interview with Suryakumar Yadav or the trophy handover.

Abhishek Sharma | Player of the Tournament: Getting a car is always a pleasure. (How has this tournament helped you?) I mean, of course, getting into this team after winning the World Cup, it wasn't easy for any opener. But if you see, we had a plan that we want to play a game, you know, that we have to show intent from the first ball. So that was my plan, I worked really hard on that. And if you're playing like this, you need special support from your coach and captain. I think that was the one thing I was getting from them throughout the tournament, before this as well. So obviously, my plan was pretty much clear that, you know, if I do well, if I get that impact, and it's for my team, my team should win. Of course, I mean, if you want to play something like this, sometimes you will fail, but you have to keep the process going. And, you know, and that's what I was getting from my team as well. (On adapting to different pitches in the tournament) I mean, if you see that I had a plan, if I get spinners or pacers in the powerplay, I'm going to utilize that powerplay. Because if you see any bowler, even a fast bowler, any of the premium fast bowlers as well, I want to go from the first ball, no matter who's the bowler. And obviously that's going to make me give that impact to the team. And that's what I want to do.

Salman Agha | Pakistan captain: Yeah, it is a tough pill to swallow right now. But I think we did not finish well with the bat. And bowling, I think we were outstanding. We gave everything. But yeah, if we could have finished well, it could have been a different story. I think we couldn't rotate the strike properly. And then we, I think, lost too many wickets at times. So I think that was the reason we couldn't score what we wanted. But yeah, we're going to sort out our batting very, very soon. Yeah, yeah, they bowled really well. I think they bowled outstandingly well at one time. I think they needed like 63 in 6 overs. I thought we had the game. But yeah, I think the bowlers bowled really well. So we have to give them credit. Very proud. I think we bowled really well. And I'm very proud as a team. And we as a team are very proud. And we have so much to look forward to. And we will continue to improve and we will come back stronger.

Tilak Varma | Player of the Match: It was pressure. They were bowling well. They were mixing the pace up. I was breathing and trying to stay calm. Fantastic knock from Samson. The way Dube batted under pressure was helpful and important for the country. We have prepared for every position. You should be flexible. I was prepared to bat at any position. I was backing my game. When the wickets are on the slower side, I have talked to Gauti sir and have worked hard. One of the most special knocks of my life. This is for all the Indians.

Finally we are ready for the presentations. Simon Doull has the mic and we go..

Still waiting for the presentations. Both sets of players are present and ready. The concerned people are on the dias. It has been over an hour since the game finished. But still we wait.. We will update as soon as we have any news.

"Mohsin Naqvi (ACC chief and PCB chairman) waiting, India waiting but Pakistan haven't emerged from their dressing room, Mohsin on call while on stage having an animated talk with someone ," pings Pratyush. "Booing as Salman Agha emerges from the dressing room. He, Hesson and the team manager. Lots of booing as Pakistan players emerge one by one, some of them in their flip flops" he adds a couple of minutes later.

Yes, the pressure was immense - it was a final, and it was Pakistan but Tilak showed remarkable composure. He batted through, absorbed the pressure, and ensured India got over the line. What a knock that was! This will be remembered as one of the defining innings of his career. He has already produced some gems, those back-to-back hundreds in South Africa, the unbeaten 72 against England with the lower order but this one stands out. This was career-defining.

The real difference between the two sides came down to depth and experience. Pakistan lost their two set batters and unravelled in a way only they can, while India, on the other hand, lost their top three, including the in-form Abhishek, yet still managed to chase the target down. That’s where the experience kicks in. Most of these Indian players have been in 20/3 situations before with their franchises, and they knew exactly how to steady themselves without losing their heads.

Sanju Samson: Really enjoyed the pressure. Not played many Indo-Pak games but the pressure was there, I had to use my experience, calm my nerves, watch the ball and react. It came off nicely. I had a really good partnership with Tilak and enjoyed playing the game today. The game dictates what type of cricket you need to play. You have to respect the condition and situations. That is what we have learned after years and years of cricket in the IPL, years and years of playing cricket. That's what cricket has taught us. Was looking to time the ball and that is what has helped me. Close games are really good and that is when your character is tested. This game was really crucial just before the World Cup. These knockout games do help us prepare for the big games coming up few months later.

Shubman Gill: Pretty amazing. Whole tournament unbeaten and feels amazing. (on batting with Abhishek) We have played almost all of our cricket together. We know each other inside out and it's amazing to bat with him, he has been phenomenal this tournament. Takes the pressure off the non-striker. The conversation was to take it as deep as possible. The target was not much and losing three early wickets never easy but the way Sanju and Tilak batted and the way Dube hit those sixes was amazing. There wasn't much panic with 30 off 3 overs, but it was a slow wicket and the boundaries are bigger, the way both the batters batted, first soaking in the pressure and then hit it out of the park.

Kuldeep Yadav: Of course (spin is still India's strength to win big matches). It's very important to bowl in the middle overs. And of course, we, Varun and Axar, playing together, obviously, it's a luxury to have. And everyone has a different role, you know. So, obviously, they started really well. After 10-11 overs, they were like 100 for 1. And we knew that if you get a couple of early wickets, and probably not early, but after that, after 10 overs, if you get a couple of wickets, then obviously, it's not going to be easy for a new batter to come and score runs easily. And obviously, when I was bowling the 4th over, I was looking to get them out. Before the game, he (Hari) just sent the screenshot of the lengths where you are going to bowl to the batters. And obviously, masterclass from Tilak. You know, he was unbelievable today.

Varun Chakaravarthy: I feel great. Definitely, at that time, I was going for the wickets, and Fakhar and Farhan were going well. And yes, I had done some plans, and it worked out in the way. But Kuldeep came and finished, yeah. It gave me memories of KKR when we were playing together. And he's always a star. He's one of the best spinners, yeah. Yes, if you see the trend in the last few matches, the first 10 overs, everyone is going berserk. And they don't lose wickets. So, after that, we knew that if we bowl on the right space, and right line of play, we can curtail them down. And obviously, I would like to mention Hari (team analyst). He is a guy who has done a lot of work behind the scenes. And due credit to him also.

Morne Morkel | India bowling coach: Well, yeah, I thought, you know, the guys summed up the conditions of the ball quite well. A nice opportunity for Shivam Dube tonight to take that first over, to take responsibility. I thought he set the tone quite beautifully on that. And what a way to finish it with a bat. The spinners through the middle were certainly brilliant, I think. And Shivam Dube did a terrific job. Yeah, you know, I just thought it was something we've discussed, going into the tournament, and it might be an opportunity for him to use a new ball up front. And then, unfortunately, having injured him (Hardik) in the previous game, he had to step up, and I thought he did that beautifully. (On what he does with the team in the training sessions) Well, look, I mean, I think the sessions are very focused. The other guys know it's not that hard to go and get themselves ready for the games. And it was quite hot here in Dubai, so we had to manage that quite well. And towards the back end, we played a lot of back-to-back games, so to manage and recover well was key. And, you know, just to get ourselves maintained in a good space for a big final today. You know, we knew a bunch of stuff was going to come out. There was a lot on the line, obviously, in the final. And it was about the team putting all their nerves to rest. And I thought towards the back end there, our guys had a lot of experience, and Shivam also, just taking that partnership with Tilak deep was key.

Rinku Singh: Nothing else matters. This one ball matters. One was needed. I hit it for a four. Everyone knows I am a finisher. Team won and I am really happy.

Stats by Roshan Gede

- Last 34 completed matches unbeaten for Dube in India colours since December 2019.