‘Pehle humne Sindoor lagaya tha aur ab Tilak’: Jubilant fans erupt as India wins Asia Cup

NEW DELHI: After India’s clinching victory in the Asia Cup final over arch-rivals Pakistan, Indian fans celebrated across the country and expressed their happiness.

A well-compiled half-century by Tilak Varma and his valuable partnerships with Sanju Samson and Shivam Dube helped Team India secure their second T20I Asia Cup title and overall ninth title, including the ODI editions, beating Pakistan by five wickets in a nail-biting final at Dubai on Sunday.

A fan of the Indian cricket team from Delhi said, “Pehle humne Sindoor lagaya tha aur ab Tilak lagaya hai.”

Fans of the Indian cricket team from Nagpur and Mohali took to the streets to celebrate India’s win against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025.
Another fan from Mohali said, “I am thrilled as India won the #AsiaCupFinal.”

Coming to the match, India won the toss and elected to field first. An 84-run stand between Sahidzada Farhan (57 in 38 balls, with four boundaries and three sixes) and Fakhar Zaman (46 in 35 balls, with two fours and two sixes) gave Pakistan the headstart they needed.

However, thanks to the magic of spinners Kuldeep Yadav (4/30) and Varun Chakravarthy (2/30) in the middle overs, Pakistan faced a collapse from 113/1 in 12.4 overs to 146 all out in 19.1 overs, with Bumrah (2/25) also getting the final two wickets.

During the run-chase, India sank to 20/3 due to an initial burst from Faheem Ashraf (3/29). However, Tilak Varma (69* in 53 balls, with three fours and four sixes), stitched a 57-run stand with Sanju Samson (24 in 21 balls, with two fours and a six) to bring India back into the game.

Shivam Dube (33 in 22 balls, with two fours and two sixes) delivered some carnage with Tilak, solidifying India’s hold on the game despite some occasional brilliance from Pakistan. In the end, it was Rinku Singh, who was featuring in his first Asia Cup match, who got the chance to hit the winning runs on the first ball. (ANI)