Indian cricket great Sunil Gavaskar confessed that his heart was pounding in excitement as he watched the Asia Cup 2025 final between India and Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
The Men in Blue pulled off a nail-biting win, pursuing a score of 147 runs in only two balls remaining. This victory was India's third consecutive win over Pakistan in the 2025 tournament and added to their record with a ninth Asia Cup title.
Referring to India Today regarding his experience during the game, Gavaskar mentioned, "Heart rate was at its peak; it felt like it'd burst anytime."
The Suryakumar Yadav group lost early momentum in their pursuit, with their openers Abhishek Sharma and captain Shubman Gill getting out cheaply, leaving the middle-order under instant pressure.
Gavaskar dissected the match, noting that the top-order batsmen were attempting to score at a brisk rate despite a small target. He believed that these early losses "opened the door" for Pakistan to take control, causing consternation in the remaining lineup.
What we experienced in the first three dismissals was difficult to understand because it wasn't a large target where you'd have to look to score on every ball. What you required was to get a good solid start, not a 60 or a 50 in the first six overs, but perhaps even a 35-40; that's what you required.". But they were 20/3; that's what gave Pakistan an opening, that's what scared everyone. If the bowling is just so good and you get bowled out by the bowler, then it's different. But here the batsmen were playing shots which were not necessary, that does create quite a bit of nervousness," he further added.
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