Legendary opener Sunil Gavaskar heaped praise on Tilak Varma following India’s Asia Cup 2025 Super Four clash against Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday, September 21. Gavaskar stated that Tilak treated Pakistan’s spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi as a net-ball spinner, given how he finished the game.

Tilak, who had earlier slammed a run-a-ball 31 against Pakistan in the group stage, began slowly after coming out to bat at No. 4. The left-hander was 20 off 17 deliveries ahead of the 19th over but finished the match in style by hitting a six followed by a boundary off Afridi’s bowling. The 22-year-old remained unbeaten at 30 off 19 balls, helping India seal a comfortable win.

Writing in his column for The Sportstar, the 76-year-old opined that the Men in Blue proved too strong, beginning with a 105-run opening partnership between Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma. Gavaskar highlighted India’s overall dominance and the clinical way they chased down Pakistan’s total.

India’s Dominance and Tilak’s Brilliance

Gavaskar wrote, “When the second match came along, there was an improved batting performance by Pakistan in the first half before the loss of three wickets put them on the back foot again, and despite getting big runs in the final three overs, they were 20 runs shorter than what they would have wanted. India breezed to a win after a delightful opening partnership between Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill that took the breath away and crushed any hopes the Pakistanis had of winning the game. In the end, another super-talented batter, Tilak Varma, treated Pakistan’s premier bowler, Shaheen Shah Afridi, like a net-ball spinner and smashed him around to wrap a win with deliveries to spare.”

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Afridi has gone wicketless in both games against India in the Asia Cup 2025. Meanwhile, the two arch-rivals could meet for the third time in the final on September 28. India, with their ominous form, are expected to overcome Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in the remaining Super Four matches to secure a spot in the final. Pakistan, on the other hand, face Sri Lanka on Tuesday in a must-win game, followed by a crucial clash against Bangladesh to determine their chances of reaching the final.