India lift ninth Asia Cup title in Dubai
India clinched their record-extending ninth Asia Cup crown with a dramatic win over Pakistan in the 2025 T20 final in Dubai on September 28. Chasing 147, the Men in Blue stumbled early at 20 for 3, but Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, and Shivam Dube guided the side to a tense final-over finish. The victory also marked India’s eighth consecutive win over Pakistan across formats since 2022 and completed an unbeaten run in the tournament.
Reflecting on the performance, Harbhajan Singh told Sports Today: “This is how you win matches and tournaments. It goes to show how well-prepared the Indian team is. Forget about Pakistan, here it was just a competition between India vs India and how well India can play. If India play to 60% of their potential, no team would come close to India. Today India were slightly on the edge in the first six overs but great to see the youngsters lifting the burden on their shoulders and taking the team through.”
India’s young stars rise to the occasion
Harbhajan highlighted the role of emerging players in India’s success, pointing to the maturity shown by Tilak Varma in particular. Speaking exclusively to India Today, he said: “This young team actually has it in them. They’re a very talented bunch of guys, and the more they play, they will learn a lot. And of course, I can see the maturity. Already it’s there in someone like a Tilak. This kind of an inning, you don’t get it, you know, from a youngster, but you see that there’s a method behind it, how he plays his inning, how he take that inning far. I’ll definitely say that this team probably have earned that place right there up the marker. In international cricket at the moment, our Indian team is definitely at the top of the table, and if at all there are any teams in competition it is Australia or England, as I mentioned earlier, or South Africa, but not Pakistan for sure. I think the difference is a lot.”
Real competition lies outside the subcontinent
With India winning 35 of their last 38 T20 internationals since the start of 2024, including last year’s T20 World Cup, Harbhajan emphasized that Pakistan are not on the same level as India in the shortest format. He told Sports Today: “(India) did tremendously well in South Africa. So I’ll say this team has earned their place at the top of the table. And the teams that are in competition with them are Australia, England and South Africa but definitely not Pakistan. Beating South Africa in South Africa is not easy.”
What it means for Indian cricket
The Asia Cup triumph further cements India’s dominance in T20 cricket, with their depth and balance ensuring strong performances regardless of conditions. With young players stepping up alongside established stars, Harbhajan’s remarks underscore a growing Indian belief that India’s greatest challenges now come from overseas heavyweights rather than their traditional rivals.
