India’s thrilling Asia Cup 2025 final win over Pakistan continues to stir reactions, with former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin cheekily thanking Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf for his unexpected “contribution” to India’s triumph.
During the tense chase of 147 runs in the final, India suffered an early collapse, losing three wickets for just 20 runs, including key batters Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, and captain Suryakumar Yadav. Just when things looked bleak, Tilak Varma stepped up with a brilliant 69 off 53 balls, stabilizing the innings and guiding India to a comfortable win.
🎯 Rauf’s Costly Spell
While praising Tilak Varma’s composure under pressure, Ashwin couldn’t resist poking fun at Haris Rauf’s expensive bowling spell.
“Thanks to Haris Rauf, we won the match easily,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
“Tilak Varma absolutely stole the show. He has veins of ice. Outstanding knock.”
Rauf, who had previously made headlines for his aggressive behavior during the Super 4 match, leaked 50 runs in just 3.4 overs in the final, becoming Pakistan’s most expensive bowler of the match.
Ashwin also highlighted Tilak’s ability to handle pressure and adapt to pitch conditions:
“He read the bounce well and started playing square of the wicket. People think hitting Rauf for six is easy — but it’s not.”
Praise for Indian Spinners
Ashwin didn’t stop at the batting heroics. He also credited spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav, who together picked up six wickets and played a crucial role in halting Pakistan’s early momentum.
“Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman gave them a good start. But this is where the difference lies. Sri Lanka play spin well. Pakistan don’t always handle big-match pressure,” Ashwin commented.
He emphasized that while Pakistan has capable players of spin, the pressure of high-stakes matches often proves to be their undoing.
