In a hair-raising Asia Cup final in Dubai last year, Tilak Varma was India's hero with a match-winning performance against arch-rivals Pakistan. Under immense pressure and with the title on the line, Varma held his nerve, displaying remarkable composure and steering India to a dramatic five-wicket victory in a clash that went down to the wire.
Chasing a competitive target of 147, India’s innings began on shaky ground. The team suffered an early double blow within the first ten deliveries, losing in-form opener Abhishek Sharma, who had been the tournament’s leading run-scorer, and captain Suryakumar Yadav in quick succession. The early setbacks put massive pressure on India, but Tilak Varma rose to the occasion with a thumping knock.
“I was sweating even before I entered to bat. India had won both games against Pakistan before that; everyone was expecting India to win easily again, but it’s Dubai, it’s the final, it’s against Pakistan. They had such a good bowling attack, and all I was thinking was: we can’t lose this game,” Tilak told GQ India.
Varma, rather than succumbing to the mounting pressure, carefully rebuilt the innings, helping India recover from the early collapse and keep the chase within reach. He applied his IPL experience to play a terrific innings against Pakistan to power India to their 9th Asia Cup title.
“I’ve done this since I was a child, I’ve done this for the Mumbai Indians, I’ve made a name for myself playing under pressure. I kept telling myself, I will do it; whatever happens, I will win the game for the country. I was just listening to my heart, not my mind. There was so much going on in my head, but I was just breathing. I looked at the India logo on my jersey and what it means to me. I also knew that God was with me. So yeah, everything went well,” he said.