"The best T20I knock of his career" - Aakash Chopra's massive praise for Team India star after IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2025 final

Former cricketer lauded Team India batter Tilak Varma's match-winning knock in the Asia Cup 2025 final against Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday. The southpaw remained unbeaten on 69 off 53 balls as the Men in Blue chased the 147-run target with five wickets in hand.

Chopra noted that while Varma has two T20I hundreds to his name in his young career, this was his best knock in the format at the highest level. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo after the Asia Cup 2025 summit clash, the cricketer-turned-commentator said:

"Tilak Varma, who has already scored two T20I hundreds, has actually played the best T20I knock of his career on this night."

Varma walked out to bat when India were reeling at 10/2 in 2.3 overs. He showed tremendous composure under pressure, taking his side to a famous win. Pointing out what was special in the 22-year-old's knock, Chopra said:

"Lots of things, actually. Understanding the need of the hour, because 20/3, there was a real threat of things going pear-shaped. To maintain that tempo, knowing where to go, who to go against, because it wasn't your typical T20 surface where the ball was coming onto the bat nicely.

"The need to build a partnership, he was there, and then, whenever he decided to go hard, just connected it beautifully, picked the right balls, didn't really manufacture a lot of shots, and just a sheer display of skill. I think that was a notch above the rest."

During the same discussion, former India pacer Varun Aaron noted that Varma had luck on his side as he escaped a run-out chance. On the final ball of the 14th over, the left-handed batter narrowly survived as wicketkeeper Mohammad Haris failed to break the stumps in the first attempt.

Varma would have been out had Haris dislodged the bails in that attempt. However, his error gave the Indian batter some extra time to get back into the crease. Commenting on the missed chance, Aaron said:

"Obviously got lucky with that missed run out chance, which Pakistan are going to rue I don't know for how long because they almost had India's number. If they had gotten him run out, this would have been a different story. That was really bad keeping."

Varma was adjudged the Player of the Match in the Asia Cup 2025 final. He finished as India's second-highest run-scorer in the edition, amassing 213 runs across six innings at a strike rate of 131.48.

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"That was a massive innings" - Varun Aaron on Sanju Samson's batting effort in IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2025 final

Sanju Samson also played an important innings in the Asia Cup 2025 final. The keeper-batter finished with 24 runs from 21 deliveries. He formed a crucial 57-run partnership in 50 balls for the fourth wicket with Tilak Varma.

Praising Samson's performance, Varun Aaron said in the same video:

"That was a massive innings. Yes, it wasn't the strike rate which he generally plays with, but it was a 57-run partnership. In the context of the game, in the context of the wicket, that was a very, very important partnership. That gave Tilak the time and the base to explode at the end."

It is worth noting that India won the Asia Cup 2025 unbeaten. The Suryakumar Yadav-led side claimed seven consecutive victories in the tournament.