Tilak Varma walked in when India was struggling at 10/2 and played a composed, match-defining knock of 69 off 53 balls to take India past the finish line in the Asia Cup 2025 final against Pakistan.
Varma, who has been India’s second-best batter in the tournament, rose to the occasion when it mattered most helping chase down a tricky 148-run target in Dubai under immense pressure.
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Pathan: “His Best Knock in T20Is”
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan hailed the young batter’s performance, calling it the best innings of his T20I career even more impactful than his two T20I centuries.
“Tilak Varma has played the best innings of his career. He has scored two centuries in T20I cricket, but he hasn't played a better innings than this. This was just a 69-run knock, but Tilak would have never faced bigger pressure than this in his career — and he converted that pressure into a big performance brilliantly,” Pathan said.
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Compared to Virat Kohli’s Iconic Chases
Pathan didn’t stop there. He compared Tilak’s composure and match awareness to Virat Kohli — who is known for rising to the occasion in high-stakes matches, especially against Pakistan.
“At one stage, it seemed we would fall way behind. That’s when he played a Virat Kohli-type innings. Kohli used to do this job — stand like a king in big games against Pakistan. This innings will be remembered for years,” he added.
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“Risk-Free Cricket” Under Pressure
Pathan also highlighted Tilak’s calm approach, noting how he avoided unnecessary risks despite wickets falling around him.
“Wickets were falling from the other end, but he kept doing his job. He handled the pressure. He didn’t panic or feel the need to go for a big shot just because more pressure might come at the end. He played this innings with low-risk cricket,” he explained.
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Drawing further comparisons to Kohli, Pathan pointed out how Pakistan struggled to rotate their bowlers effectively while Tilak was at the crease.
“That’s why Virat Kohli’s name keeps coming to mind — he used to play such low-risk cricket. There’s another thing. Mohammad Nawaz still had three overs left, but they couldn’t bowl him because Tilak was batting. On this pitch, a left-arm spinner bowling quickly would’ve been tough to handle — but Pakistan couldn’t manage their bowling the way they wanted,” Pathan observed.
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