Former Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar expressed his intense emotions while watching the Asia Cup 2025 final between India and Pakistan at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, where India secured their ninth title by successfully chasing down 147 runs with two balls remaining, marking their third consecutive victory against Pakistan in the tournament.India’s chase faced early challenges as openers Abhishek Sharma and captain Shubman Gill were dismissed early, putting pressure on the middle order.
“Heart rate was at its peak; it felt like it’d burst anytime,” Gavaskar told India Today when asked about his experience watching the match.The former cricketer provided his analysis of India’s batting performance, particularly focusing on the approach of the top-order batsmen who attempted to score quickly despite the modest target.“What we saw in the first three dismissals was hard to comprehend because it wasn’t a big target where you’d have to look to score on every delivery. What you needed was to get a nice solid start, not necessarily a 60 or a 50 in the first six overs, but maybe even a 35-40; that’s what you needed. But they were 20/3; that’s what opened the door for Pakistan, that’s what got everyone nervous. If the bowling is very good and the bowler gets you out, then it’s another matter. But here the batters were looking to play shots which were not required, that does cause a fair bit of nervousness.”The Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian team ultimately prevailed in what turned out to be a thrilling encounter, despite the early setbacks in their batting innings.India’s victory in this match further solidified their dominance in the Asia Cup, extending their record number of titles in the tournament to nine.
