India captured their ninth Asia Cup crown after defeating arch-rivals Pakistan by five wickets in a tense and drama-filled final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Chasing 147, India were rocked early at 10-2, but young batter Tilak Varma produced a match-winning unbeaten knock of 69 runs, guiding his side home with just a few deliveries to spare.
The contest carried political undertones, as the post-match presentation was delayed for over an hour amid disagreements over the presence of Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who also heads the Pakistan Cricket Board and serves as Pakistan’s interior minister. In an unprecedented move, the Indian team refused to collect the official winners’ trophy or medals from Naqvi, instead celebrating with a mock trophy in front of their supporters.
On the field, Pakistan started brightly with an 84-run opening stand between Sahibzada Farhan (57) and Fakhar Zaman (46). But once the partnership was broken, their innings collapsed dramatically, sliding from 113-2 to 146 all out in less than 20 overs. Kuldeep Yadav was India’s standout bowler, taking four wickets and finishing as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 17 dismissals.
For India, the final was built around Varma’s composure under pressure, ably supported by Sanju Samson’s 24 and Shivam Dube’s steady hand in the middle overs. Rinku Singh struck the winning runs in style, sealing a memorable campaign where India remained unbeaten throughout. Despite the off-field controversy, the victory reinforced India’s dominance in Asian cricket and showcased the depth of their emerging talent.
