Test Match Special - Asia Cup: India become nine-time champions

Episode Date: September 28, 2025

Aatif Nawaz and Nikesh Rughani look back at the 2025 Asia Cup as India beat Pakistan in the final. They discuss Tilak Varma’s match-winning innings, as well as how both sides reached the final. Plus, who was their player of the tournament?

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Hello everybody, I'm Ardiff Nawaz. Welcome to the TMS podcast where India have won the 2025 Asia Cup, their ninth Asia Cup title, beating Pakistan by five wickets. What a final it was with India winning with the third ball of the final over of the competition. I'm alongside TMS commentator, Nikesh Raghani, to go over it all. Nikesh, what a final to what's been an incredibly dramatic tournament. Yeah, absolutely incredible, Atef, for the best match of the competition to be in the final. It was so good to see. And, you know, we've talked about one-sided India versus Pakistan matches, haven't we, over recent times.

Well, this was anything but one-sided, it ebbed and it flowed. and there were times when Pakistan were batting when they were batting first where it looked as they're going to post a huge total. India came back well with the ball. And then in India's innings, they were off to a terrible start. Pakistan bowling really well early on.

And then that partnership between Shivam Dubei and Dilak Varma really took the game in India's favour and Rinku Singh getting the job done of the only ball that he's faced in the entire tournament. You couldn't make it up really. Yeah, a dream run for Rinku Singh for sure. And we'll talk about. this final in a lot of detail, a ninth title for India, who've been dominant in the 41 year

history of this tournament. But how did we get to the final? So let's briefly go over the matches that took place in the Super 8 stage. It started all, of course, with an India-Bakistan match. India winning the second of three games, as it turned out, against Pakistan, reasonably comfortably. It wasn't as comfortable as the first match between the two Pakistan making a little bit of progress, but India still getting home and dry. reasonably comfortably, and that set both teams off on a slightly different path, Pakistan having to beat Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to set up a third match against India in the final, and India having an opportunity to mess around with their depth a little bit,

which has really been one of the sort of main things that's come out of this tournament, just this expression of how much talent India has at the disposal. You mentioned the final, Nikesh being the game of the tournament. I think there's a pretty good shout for India versus Sri Lanka in the Super Four stage, because it went to a Super Rover, the only game to go to a Super Rover, you know, more than 400 runs scored in the aggregate of that match and an all-timer innings, the only century of the tournament from Batum Nisanka, that was a cracking game of cricket.

It was, and it kind of shows that Batam Nizanka, as we were saying in the earlier episode of this Asia Cup podcast here on TMS, that he's come of age, really. We were hearing from Mark Machado, weren't we, about how he's sort of never really had that consistency early on in his career. was technically correct, but never kind of adapted himself to T20 cricket on a consistent basis. Well, he showed in that game that he has got every shot in the book. He paced his inning so perfectly well, well, almost perfectly well. Not enough to get that extra run to see Sri Lanka over the winning line.

But, you know, it was a fabulous innings from him. A sort of real captain's knock almost from Patum Nisanka, just showing the fact that Sri Lanka have come so far in this format over, the last couple of years and they're still competing with the best sides in the world when it comes to the biggest stages of ICC tournaments and here in the Asia Cup. But once again, look, it was a great game, of course. It was tied. It went to a super over. Sri Lanka kind of flopped in the super over, losing those couple of wickets. But there was no pressure. There wasn't the pressure of a final. India certainly didn't have any pressure themselves. Of course, Sri Lanka still had

an opportunity to try and get through to the final with victory over India. And that wasn't to be. just didn't have quite the same feeling as the final did. So although I'd give it certainly a good shout as one of the matches of the tournament, I think the final probably just about pips it just because of the occasion, the fact that it was India versus Pakistan, and both sides had something to play for.

Yeah, and there was a better fireworks display as well, I have to say. They didn't skimp on the budget for fireworks at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Bangladesh, they didn't get through to the final. There were high hopes, particularly as they got into the Super Fours, stage. But I think they're put in two very good performances against both India and

Pakistan in the Super Fours. Of course, they didn't get underline against either of them, but just underlined that they do have a very strong team in this format. They do. And that was a big surprise, I think, to many, because before the start of the tournament, we were looking at their group in the preliminary stage. And, you know, it was a group of death. Yes, they were with Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. And then, you know, it was going to be two out of the three that made it through to the Super Four. we were all tipping Afghanistan, weren't we, as favourites to win that group? And it wasn't to be for them, despite their efforts in ICC tournaments over the last few years where they performed

really well. They just were unable to find any kind of performances. And it was that young Bangladesh side, which kind of rose to the occasion, wasn't it? Those youngsters like Richard Hussein and Jakar Ali as well, putting in really good performances throughout the group stage and into the Super Fours, but it just wasn't quite to be. They competed well, as you say, against both India and Pakistan. You would have expected them to firstly chase down the 130-od against Pakistan to beat them. But then to let Pakistan get to that total in the first place, I think that's where things fell apart for Bangladesh with the ball.

They had Pakistan struggling. They could have bowled them out for less than 100 at one stage. It looked like that was going to happen. And then some runs towards the end from Shahina Friedi, once more and then a couple of others just making those contributions toward the end to get them up to something which was defendable

and I think that showed as well Bangladesh yes they competed well but Pakistan when it came down to it they got better and better throughout the tournament I did tell you that didn't I at the start the tournament you watch they will get better and better they always do this don't they 2017 Champions Trophy 2019 World Cup

so many tournaments where they start off so badly they get better and better towards the end sometimes it's not enough to get them over the line and into the knockout stages and into finals. But on this occasion, they were very, very close in the end. And yeah, it was that match against Bangladesh, which I think really gave them momentum going into the final and belief that they can defend small targets, that they can rely on batters down the order to get them up to decent totals.

And it nearly, nearly paid off against India, didn't it? Yeah, let's talk about the final. Let's get to the meat and bones of what everybody wants to hear about. So how did India get to their ninth title in this final? Well, it all started well. I mean, it was an unusual toss, actually, because there were two separate broadcasters covering the toss. It's not happened like that before.

But Suryukh Maryath won the toss, put Pakistan into bat first. And I think Pakistan had a reasonable power play, 45 for no loss from a power play. It's not as many as they got in the second game against India, but they did go wicketless. I thought, within the conditions, they started reasonably well, particularly Saib Zadha Farhan, who got himself a half-century, played some extraordinary shots of Jaspreet Bumra.

Maybe the only batter to really dominate Jusbreet Bumra, really, the only one that ever really comes to mind. He couldn't make it a telling innings in the end, getting dismissed in the 50s. But I thought the start that he gave Pakistan at one stage, 111 for 1 in the 12th over, that was a very, very good foundation. I wrote on social media at the time.

I think this is beyond most Pakistan fans' wildest expectations, because at that point, they were in the driver's sea. Absolutely. Look, when India are bowling first and, you know, Jasbip Bumra is steaming in, and then you've got the likes of Galdip Yardav, Varan Chakravati, Akshar Patel, all coming in on a track which did assist the spinners, you would have expected India to take some early wickets in that innings. It wasn't to be. I mean, look, after the first over where Shivam Dubei opened the bowling for, I think, the first time in his career, because Hardik Pandya was missing through injury. I thought, all right, here we go. India are going to be taken for a few here in the power play.

And actually, Shivam Dube bowled a really good first. A couple of overs kept things fairly tight. It was Jasprit Bumra, who ended up conceding a few too many runs from an Indian point of view. But look, 45 without loss off the power play, that the key thing there is, Pakistan built the foundation. They didn't lose any wickets and they had plenty of batting to come, which allowed then the accelerator to be pushed. And as you say, 113 for one, I think it was at the time when they lost that second wicket. that really swung things in India's favour because a whole clump of wickets fell

at one stage Gouldip Yadav took three in and over just to peg Pakistan back and at one stage it looked as though they're going to be on for 180, 190 which would have been an excellent total on that pitch which got slower and slower throughout the evening but the Indians doing what they do, doing what a champion side does really doesn't matter what happens in the first 12, 13 overs

it's how you finish in innings and how you come back and keep your head when things aren't going for you is the key to winning these kind of tournaments. And India have been there, they've done that. And once again, they just show the quality that they've got in their spin attack, absolutely outstanding. Yeah, it was the spinners, as you say, who did the damage, Akshar Patel, Galdiv, Yadav, Varan Chakravarti, the three of them. I think they're going to be a handful come the T20 World Cup next year in India and Sri Lanka as well. Those three form quite the threat, particularly in the middle overs of a game. suggest. I mean, Pakistan, you mentioned 113 for one. They finished on 147 all out. I mean,

I've watched Pakistan cricket my whole life. That's got to be in the top 5% of, I can't put it in the top was 1%, but the top 5% of collapses that they've endured. Obviously, India bowled quite well in that phase with great control, great guile, you know, very strong tactically. It felt to me, Nikesh, like Pakistan were just trying to go too hard. They got into that position, they felt compelled to go for that 180, 190, as you say, and they didn't just humble themselves. Maybe some critique came their way in the second match against India and the Super Four stage where it was suggested they didn't score heavily enough between sort of overs, 11 to 15, where batters are coming out and trying to swing first ball,

Muhammad Harris. I felt like they got that bit wrong, Pakistan, just trying to be very, very aggressive. And Kulipyad, you mentioned, you know, he went for 12 and over from his first two overs without taking a wicket. with a triple wicket over, as you said, and finished the tournament with 17 wickets. Nobody's been so out and out dominant in this competition, like Gouldi Biav. Would you say he cemented himself as India's premier spinner,

at least for seasons to come? Certainly in this format of the game, in white ball cricket, yes. In both T-20s and in ODIs, 100%. I think he's shown, his performances have been consistent in both domestic cricket

when you talk about the IPL, which is, you know, very, very good standard of domestic cricket. And then in the T20 World Cup, in one day internationals as well, it'd be a big part of the next ODI World Cup as well, you'd imagine. So, yes, certainly I think he's cemented his place as the number one spinner for India. But close behind is Varan Jakravati, who despite not being there at the top of the wicket-taking charts, always causes problems. He's got an unusual action.

He's kind of a very languid kind of bowler the way he runs in. his shirts hanging out. He's got the long sleeves on, which are often oversized. He looks as though he's borrowed his kit off somebody, but he rocks up off two or three steps and causes all sorts of problems for the bat. It's very difficult to score off. So I think they work really well in tandem. And then you've got Uxha Patel, who's been there and done it across formats, can bat in the top five or six as well. It gives you so many options with that regard. So I think India are blessed in terms of the kind of spin attack they've got, not just in the team itself, but I think the bench strength as well

what is there to come is quite scary prospect for other sides going forward. So yeah, Gouldip Yadiv at the top of the pile at the moment but India have got plenty of depth when it comes to that spin bowling attack. So, you know, once again that proved to be the difference, didn't it, in winning this tournament?

We'll pick up this conversation shortly but first make sure you subscribe to the TMS podcast as there's plenty coming away with the Women's World Cup right around the corner every ball of every match from India and Sri Lanka starting on the 30th of September and England begin their campaign. The first tournament led by head coach

Charlotte Edwards and Captain Nat Silverbrunt on the 3rd of October against South Africa, which you can hear on BBC Sounds with the match starting at 10.30 in the morning. The TMS podcast from BBC Radio 5 Live. This podcast is brought to you by Wise, the app for international people using money around the globe. With Wise,

can send, spend and receive up to 40 currencies with only a few simple taps. Plus, Wise won't add hidden fees to your transfer. Whether you're buying souvenirs with pesos in Puerto Vallata or sending euros to a loved one in Paris, you know you're getting a fair exchange rate with no extra markups. Be smart. Join the 15 million customers who choose Wise. Download the Wise app today or visit wise.com. Tise and Cs and Cs apply. Let's talk about India's batting for a second. Now 148, the target, you're thinking pretty straightforward for India, you know, they'll get this done in no time at all, you know, especially coming off the back of the momentum, you know, getting Pakistan to collapse from 113 for 1 to 147 all out. But it started with a wobble, Pakistan

bowled really well up top, took three wickets in the power play, you know, the top order, those top three. Abyshech Sharma, who's at a spectacular tournament, by the way, topped the run scoring chart, 314 runs from his seven innings, averaging 45. and a strike rate of exactly 200. Also, just side note, hit 196s in this competition. It was been basically the standout performer of this competition for me, as a lot of us predicted in our preview podcast as well, I should say, Abhisheh Sharmat, just absolutely superb.

But in the final, was dismissed cheaply by Fahim Ashraf, went to the slower ball, went after it at Abysheeshirema, couldn't put it away. Pakistan gets some early wickets, using those changes of paces really, really well. and India sort of finished the power plate at 36 for 3. So at that point, it needed a stabilising hand for India. And Dilak Varma is the player who came through and delivered.

He finished on 69 not out in the end and played essentially a match-winning innings. For Meenich, he was the difference between the two sides today. That innings took India to the title. What do you think? Yeah, certainly. I mean, I was saying when I was watching his knock there at the end, going into that final, he just smashed that six. and then took the single, it was down to Rinku Singh to hit the winning runs.

And just before the winning runs were hit, it was going through my mind that Dilak Burma has, he's basically played a Virat Koli knock there, hasn't he? That's what Virat Koli has done so often for India across T20 international cricket, ODI cricket, the finisher's role, the chasers role, whatever you want to call it, he sees games through and he gets India over the line time and time again. And Dilak Burma didn't just do it in the final. He's done it in a couple of matches recently where India

have been a little bit touch and go as to whether or not they're going to get a chase over the line. Dilip Verma comes in, in that middle order, calms everybody's nerves, just knocks it around, hits the big shot when it's there to be hit,

doesn't take any pressure on his shoulders and just inevitably seems to get the job done. It was a fabulous innings, but just to rewind a little bit, I mean, when India were 30 for three early on, losing three wickets in the power play, you never want to do that. I mean, your chances of winning a game

and go down to around 20%, even less at the point in which he lose three wickets in the power play. So they did well to come back from that. But at that point, as with the end of the Pakistan innings, you could just imagine all the uncles watching the TV sets all around the world,

cursing at all the players saying he should be dropped, he should never be playing for his country. You know, all those types of things coming out. I mean, a few of those things were going through in my mind as well at some of those points during the India innings early on in that power play. I don't know if you heard Sunugavasker's commentary as well.

I guess he's an uncle these days to many around the world. And he wasn't very happy with the way the Indians approached that chase. But, you know, look, finals do funny things, don't they? You can be the best side in the world. You can have a relatively modest target to chase. But, you know, you lose one early. All of a sudden, the nerves start going. And it wasn't just losing any old wicket.

He was losing Abyshek Sharma, as you say, who is the outstanding T20 batter at the moment in world cricket at the top of the order. There's none better than him. His performances have shown that. But he wasn't able to do it in the final. Then all of a sudden, India start thinking, well, hang on, we've relied on this guy to get us off to flying starts. And that's made everything so much easier for our middle order. What are we going to do now?

And then they start panicking. They start playing shots that they wouldn't normally play in those early stages of innings. And it was just a lot of strange cricket played by both sides with the bat, towards the end of the Pakistan innings, towards the beginning of the India innings. And as you say, Dilak Burama just came in, steadied everybody's nerves. I think Shivam Dubei gave great impetus to that India innings because as good as that Dilak Burma innings was and, you know, I think he deserved to be player of the match.

I didn't quite see the presentation and who got player of the match. If it wasn't him, I'd be very, very surprised. But Shiven Dubei should be up there too because that impetus that he gave India, the hitting that he did of Harris Ralph in particular, was just phenomenal. And, you know, for somebody to be bowling so wide of the off stump, but for him to still be able to hit sixes, into the onside, that is a skill in itself.

And, yeah, Shivam Dube, big props to him for getting India almost over the line. And then letting Thilip Burma finally finish the job along with Rinkus Singh. Yeah, he was superb. Tall man is Shivam Dube. We've seen a lot of him in the IPL. And, yeah, you really use that reach to great advantages. You say, fetching balls from miles outside the off-stump. It was a very clear game plan from Harris Raft, the second over.

He couldn't have telegraphed it anymore that I'm aiming for the wide line. And one of the balls just about landed on the cut strip as well. It did feel like that was the phase where the game swung. And yeah, I should mention Sanju Samson as well, who played a nice little cameo, some lovely shots. There was a cover drive off Shaheen, which was completely against the run of play, which I thought was an exquisite shot he played. So strong off the back foot as well, Sanju Samson. Just so much depth in India.

They're now kings of Asia for a ninth time. And it's a very strong Asian block as well, Nikesh, we should say. because whilst the Asia Cup was taking place, over in Sharjah, Nepal defeated the West Indies. Now, Nepal didn't qualify for this year's Asia Cup. So they're technically the ninth best team in Asia, but they've managed to be a former world champion T20 side in the West Indies. It's a very strong continent to be champions of for India, who are obviously one of the best teams in the world.

But this is a continent with some very, very strong cricket coming out of it. Absolutely. And it shows, doesn't it? Nepal are putting in performances like that. And then you've got sides like Afghanistan making World Cup semifinals who've come out of nowhere really in the last five or ten years just to become this force in whiteball cricket in major tournaments. Bangladesh now seem to have sorted out a few of their issues

and they're playing a more modern brand of T20 cricket and the younger players are coming through to replace the likes of Shakyb and Damimikbal and one or two others. And Sri Lanka, look, you look down their list and they've got players who play in all the top leagues around the world and have got so much experience across different types of conditions. I think come the World Cup next year, and this is not mentioning Indian Pakistan either who contested a great final,

you look at that T20 World Cup and you wouldn't look far beyond one of those Asian sides to win. Of course, India are going to be favourites going into that tournament on home soil or the most of the tournament being played on home soil. But, you know, you've got some very, very strong sides there. And look, the cricket in this Asia Cup has been a little bit affected by some substandard pitches, in my opinion. You know, T20 cricket, you want to see high scoring games. You want the crowd to be entertained.

Yes, you want something in it for the bowlers, but you don't want something that's too slow and low. And you see 1.30 plays 110 and things like that. It's not always great for the game. Yes, the odd game like that is absolutely fine. So I think a little bit of the quality has been affected by the pitches in this competition. in some of the grounds, but overall, you can see that there is so much quality in Asian cricket

right now, and it's fantastic to see. Yeah, it certainly is, and it's just very exciting as the game continues to grow as well. As you mentioned, there were a few sort of off-field shenanigans that dominated the conversation in early doors, but I'm really

pleased that the tournament ended with a match that was very exciting, a very gripping game of cricket, back and forth, great narrative, the entertainment that we were looking for and a great fireworks display, which is always really, really nice to see. Right, one word answers, Nick Esch, you go first, I'll go second. Your player of the tournament. Well, he's got two names, Abyshek Sharma.

I thought you were about to see Abyshech Junjunwala for a fucking just as a tribute to our friend. But yeah, I think it's very hard to disagree with that. But just to be different, I'll say Kul-Dip Yardiv, because 17 wickets across the competition, no joke whatsoever, and some incredible spells. in a squeezing of the opposition. Anyway, sorry, it's one word answers. So your innings of the tournament. Innings of the tournament.

I'm going to go, Patom Nisanka. Do I have to give more details on that? Do you want which innings? No, you don't. You know which innings. No, yeah, it wasn't the first one of the tournament. Let's put it that way. But again, I can't disagree with you.

It was just such an enthralling knock to watch. And just sort of watching that game as a neutral. You know, it was very like, I think, you know, you kind of wanted to see David Slate Goliath a little bit. it like he went to like is he going to take Sri Lanka over the line against the mighty India he didn't in the end but it was very it's a very exciting knock to watch

are you going to Nisanka as well yeah yeah I'm going to say obviously there's nothing I mean there's nothing compared to that really I mean I could have gone with some of Abhishech's innings he's been superb as you say you know I could have gone with Saibs either for Han's winning his innings as well a couple of 50s against India but neither were

in a winning cause they didn't go on to be sort of telling in the match so I think it you know honourable mentions maybe to Abhishek and to Zhaibh Zada, but it's got to be Patum Nisanka for innings of the tournament. Surprise of the tournament. Surprise of the tournament. I'd say Afghanistan not making the super fours

because we all expected it, didn't we? World Cup semi-finals last time round, surely. You know what? I'm going to go the other way. I'm going to say the surprise of the tournament is that we got three India-Bakistan matches because this event for 41 years has been built with the intention

of maximising India versus Pakistan matches and somehow they've never made it to the final before so much so that in our preview pods people were messages, I was getting messages with Rojan Alam, I think Bangladesh are going to get there Mark, I think Sri Lanka are going to get there ahead of Pakistan but we got there so I think just the fact that we got to an India-Bakistan final

for the first time in 41 years that was the surprise for me so yeah any disappointments of the tournament for you one word answer it can't be one word I think I mean look I know I'm producer Jackers but one word answer but there's got to be a little bit of context

go on go on go on my one word handshake handshake well there was no handshake lack of lack of handshake look I would say disappointment of the tournament yeah all the off field shenanigans

but then at the end of the day it's what you do on the pitch isn't it and I think the final kind of proved that, you know, we had a great game of cricket, India managed to get over the line and that's all we want to see ultimately, don't we? We want to see good hard cricket played on the field. We don't care about all this stuff off the field. Just leave that to one side, just turn up to a tournament, play good hard cricket, have respect for each other, and move on. And that's how it should be. And, you know, all of those players involved in any sign of off-field shenanigans

or even on-field shenanigans in some cases, just take a look at yourselves and just think there's no need for that. Just play good hard cricket and entertain the crowd. And that's what it's all about. And that's what the final did. I couldn't agree with you more. Thanks so much, Nick. It's been a pleasure chatting, as always.

Congratulations to India, winning the Asia Cup for a ninth time. That's it for this episode. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode of the TMS podcast, including the latest episode. episode of the No Balls podcast with Kate Cross and Alex Hartley. Remember, the Women's World Cup is just around the corner. You can hear every match, every ball of every match, live on BBC Sounds across the competition, starting with India against Sri Lanka, live from Guwahati, 1025 on Tuesday morning on BBC Sounds,

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