Follow UsIndia’s hero of the Asia Cup 2025 final triumph against arch-rivals Pakistan, Tilak Varma, met his state, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, in the capital Hyderabad on September 30 (Tuesday).
While Varma presented a cricket bat to the chief minister, he was in return facilitated by the CM as well as Telangana Sports Minister Vakiti Srihari and several sports department officials.
Varma, who struck an unbeaten 69, which was the real reason behind India’s five-wicket win, chasing 147 to win, said that he had to face a lot of verbal volleys from Pakistan players.
“I have placed my country ahead of everything else, and I wanted to win the match for the country. I knew if I succumbed to the pressure at that time I would be letting down myself and 140 crore people of the country,” Verma was quoted as saying by The Times of India (TOI).
“The best reply to them was to win the match and that’s what we did. After Operation Sindoor, they came hard on us. We have replied in a good way to them by playing sports the way it should be played,” he added.
So did Varma not give it back to the Pakistanis? The 22-year-old answered that in style, saying, “During the match, I was just focusing, I was not ready to answer them. Whatever I wanted to tell them, I told them after the match. But our focus was on winning the match.”
Varma’s next assignment in Indian colours would be the tour of Australia later in October.