Tilak Varma demolishes Haris Rauf's World Class tag; reveals Pakistan players' sledge in Asia Cup final

India middle-order batter Tilak Varma has revealed that the Pakistan players tried to unsettle him with sledging during the Asia Cup 2025 final in Dubai. However, Tilak stated that he focused on his basics and let his performance do the talking rather than engaging with the Pakistan players on the field.

Tilak played one of his career-best knocks at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, September 28. He came to the crease with India in trouble at 10/2 during their chase of 147. After India further collapsed to 20/3, the 22-year-old remained composed and reached a half-century off 41 balls.

Tilak changed his gears after reaching fifty, including a decisive six in the final over. The left-handed batter scored an unbeaten 69 from 53 deliveries. His knock guided India to a five-wicket victory with two balls to spare, securing the Asia Cup title.

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There Were A Lot of Things Happening - Tilak Varma

Speaking in Hyderabad, Tilak Varma said that he preferred not to disclose Pakistan players’ sledging. He emphasized that the team’s priority remained on winning the match rather than getting distracted by on-field provocation.

“They (Pakistan) came hard at me," Tilak told reporters in Hyderabad on Tuesday. “I have always said I want to win matches. So, I followed all the basics, didn’t say anything during the match."

“During the match, I was just focusing on my basics, I was not ready to answer them. Whatever I want to tell them I told them after the match and not when the game was going on."

"There were a lot of things happening in the middle but I can’t reveal all of them. Those things happen in India vs Pakistan matches and they are part of the game. But our focus was on winning the match," he added.

I Wanted to Win the Match For the Country - Tilak Varma

Tilak Varma revealed that his focus on the basics and determination drove him to perform for India. The 22-year-old added that he put his country first, ensuring he did not let down himself or the nation’s 140 crore fans.

“There was some pressure and nerves initially. But I have placed my country ahead of everything else and I wanted to win the match for the country. I knew If I succumbed to the pressure at that time I would be letting down myself and 140 crore people of the country," Tilak stated.

“I believed in the basics that I learned as a young cricketer from my coaches and executed it. The best reply to them was to win the match and that’s what we did," he added.

Haris Rauf Might Be a World-Class Bowler - Tilak Varma

Team India needed 10 runs from the final over, and Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha handed the ball to Haris Rauf. Tilak Varma began the over with two runs, followed by a six, leaving four runs required from the last ball. Rinku Singh then sealed the win with his first shot of the tournament.

Varma said that Rauf is a world-class bowler but highlighted his own batting skills, saying it wasn’t difficult to take on the pacer.

“Haris Rauf might be a world-class bowler but I am also a good batter," Varma said while speaking to the media in Hyderabad.

Haris conceded 17 runs in the 15th over and 13 in the 18th. Overall, he gave away 50 runs in just 3.4 overs, a poor performance that impacted the match’s outcome.

Also read: India's T20 World Cup 2026 squad announced