India will face Pakistan in the 2026 T20 World Cup match at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on February 15. Ahead of the game, Tilak Verma has shared his experience of playing against the Men in Green in the Asia Cup final. In the final, the southpaw played a match-winning innings against Salman Ali Aga’s team.
Chasing the target of 147 runs, India were reduced to 20/3. Tilak Verma stepped in between Pakistan’s victory and India’s defeat. The southpaw displayed an amazing flair in the final of the 2025 Asia Cup, scoring an unbeaten 69 off 53 balls to take the Men in Blue over the line and help them extend their record to a 9th Asia Cup title.
Tilak Verma shares his experience of Asia Cup final
Speaking in a candid interview with GQ India, Tilak said, “I was sweating even before I came out to bat. India had won both the games against Pakistan before this; everyone was expecting India to win easily again, but this is Dubai, it’s the final, it’s against Pakistan. They had such a good bowling attack, and I was just thinking: we can’t lose this game.”
Tilak Verma brings all the IPL experience with him, as he has played many innings for Mumbai Indians in the toughest T20 league in the world. “I have done this since I was a kid, I have done this for Mumbai Indians, I have made a name for myself by playing under pressure,” he says matter-of-factly, each word as precise as the shots coming off his bat when he is in full flow.
Tilak used his IPL experience to take India over the line
The left-handed batsman concluded, “I kept telling myself, I will do this; no matter what happens, I will win the game for the country. I was just listening to my heart, not my mind. A lot was going on in my mind, but I was just breathing. I saw the India logo on my jersey and what it meant to me. I also knew that God was with me. So yes, everything fell into place.”
In the match, Shivam Dubey also played a role, scoring 33 runs in 22 balls and forming a partnership with Tilak during a difficult situation for India. After his sensational innings against Pakistan, his average reached 92 in a successful run chase for India in T20Is. Tilak Verma was looking in good form in the first game against America, but could not convert into a big score.
Tilak Verma the key to India’s success?
Tilak Verma has been India’s best batsman at No. 3 in the shortest format of the game after the 2024 T20 World Cup. While holding this position, he has scored 567 runs in 16 innings at a strike rate of 160.62 and scored two centuries and three half-centuries with an average of 56.70.
He will look to regain his rhythm and play a big innings against Namibia on Thursday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium to gain confidence ahead of the blockbuster clash against Pakistan. India is on a 5-match winning streak against Pakistan in all competitions.
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