Asian Games: Tilak Verma continues fine run against Pakistan with quickfire fifty in final

Aichi-Nagoya [Japan], October 3 (ANI): Indian batter Tilak Verma continued his fine run against Pakistan, slamming a quickfire half-century against the arch-rivals during the final of the Asian Games men's cricket campaign on Saturday. During the title clash against Pakistan, Tilak slammed a blistering 51* in 22 balls, with three fours and four sixes at a strike rate of 231.82. In five innings against Pakistan, Tilak has scored 206 runs at an average of 103 and a strike rate of 138.25, including two fifties, one of which came in the final of the Asia Cup tournament in 2024. India opted to bat first after winning the toss. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's blitz of 15 in nine balls, with two sixes, was a short-lived one, but Abhishek Sharma delivered an explosive fifty, scoring 61 in 28 balls, with three fours and seven sixes. Ishan Kishan (20) and skipper Shreyas Iyer (21) kept the ship steady, laying down the platform for Tilak (51* in 22 balls, with three fours and four sixes) and Shivam Dube (27* in 15 balls, with a four and two sixes) to take India to 211/6, with the pair putting up a 62-run stand for the sixth wicket. This is the highest first innings total in an India-Pakistan T20I. This marks the second time of a Test-playing nation scoring over 200 in a five-plus team T20I tournament final, after India had got 255/5 against New Zealand in the T20 WC 2026 final in Ahmedabad. The 62-run stand between Tilak and Shivam is the second-highest for sixth wicket or lower in a 5-plus team T20I tournament final, only behind 68* between Kumar Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews against the same opponent in the T20 World Cup 2009 final at Lord's. 21 balls taken by Tilak Varma to get to his fifty makes it the second-fastest for India against Pakistan in the format, only behind Abhishek's 20-ball effort from earlier in the day. (ANI)