India’s Asia Cup 2025 final hero Tilak Varma paid a visit to Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Tuesday, where he was felicitated for his match-winning performance against Pakistan in Dubai. Reddy praised Tilak’s efforts and posed with a cricket bat presented by the young batter, mimicking a shot on the pitch. State Sports Minister Vakiti Srihari and several sports officials were also present during the ceremony. Earlier, speaking to reporters, Varma looked back on his heroics in the high-pressure final. The 22-year-old admitted he had to remain calm under intense pressure, reminding himself that he was batting not just for himself but for the 140 crore people back home. “There was a lot of pressure and nerves in my body. A lot was going on in my mind. In my mind and heart, I thought that whatever I do, I will give my life for the country. If I am under pressure and fail, I am not just bringing myself down, I am bringing down 140 crore people. To do that, I had to stay calm. I have learnt the basics from my childhood, and I have had this habit since I was a kid — to be calm and execute everything in my mind,” Varma said. In the final, India lost key top-order batters Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Suryakumar Yadav early, leaving the team in a tough position. Tilak rose to the occasion, striking an unbeaten 69 to guide India to a five-wicket win and secure their ninth Asia Cup title. Tilak also credited partnerships for India’s recovery, highlighting his stand with Shivam Dube. “The wicket was not that easy for batting. As soon as we came back, we won the game by building a partnership. That is the quality of India,” he said. He also spoke about the distractions during the India–Pakistan clash, saying, “Pakistan always tries to distract the players. A lot of things happened when I was batting, but I can’t tell you on camera. It happens in India-Pakistan matches — we say a lot of things in the middle of the game. But the real answer is when you win the match. That’s what I had to do, and I did it.”
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What was the highlight of Tilak Varma’s performance in the final?
The young batter and his post-match celebrations, pumping his fists and passionately shouting after Rinku Singh hit the winning four had immediately went viral after the final.
