India’s all-win run at the tournament was masterminded by three standout stars; two of them bossed the final against Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium
314: No. of runs scored by Abhishek Sharma in seven Asia Cup ties at a strike-rate of 200.00; 17: No. of wickets claimed by Kuldeep Yadav in seven Asia Cup matches at an economy rate of 6.27; 71: Tilak Varman’s average at this Asia Cup. He scored 213 runs in six innings at a strike-rate of 131.48
There is a new saying in town: If Sharma don’t get you, Varma will.
The marauding Abhishek Sharma courted a rare failure in the final of the T20 Asia Cup on Sunday, but in the end, that didn’t matter with fellow left-hander Tilak Varma deciding to come to the party. In an Indian campaign marked by the power of the left, Tilak’s beautifully constructed unbeaten 69 provided the difference between ecstasy and agony.
India’s all-win run at the tournament was masterminded by three standout stars; two of them bossed the final against Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Tilak was merely finishing off a demolition job set in motion by Kuldeep Yadav, the pixie left-arm wrist-spinner whose statement-making performances married determination and class to a nicety.
Kuldeep might or might not have felt he had a point to prove after being studiedly ignored during all five England Tests in the summer. He took no time making his presence felt; whenever Suryakumar Yadav turned to him, he obliged without fail, including in the final when his 4-30 was instrumental in Pakistan slump-sliding from 113-1 to 146 all out.
Kuldeep picks 17 wickets
For impact, Kuldeep’s 17 wickets were matched by the frenzied run-making of Abhishek, whose 314 runs came at a strike-rate of 200. The opener shaded the battle for the Player of the Tournament honours though he wouldn’t have complained had it gone the other way. Abhishek’s consistency despite his high-risk approach — before the final when he was dismissed for five, he had six 30-plus rows on the bounce and his last three knocks were all above 50 — was commendable, a tribute to his game awareness and the quality of risk-taking.
Abhishek was a victim of the law of averages in the final, dismissed in the second over to spark a mini collapse, when Tilak assumed the role of the knight in shining armour with an innings for the ages. Adaptable and versatile despite being so young — he won’t turn 23 until November — Tilak is at once one for the present and the future. Under unimaginable pressure, he held his nerve, made smart decisions, refused to panic and was perfect in his selection of shots. He has made several more numerically substantial contributions than 69 not out, but few will come even close to his knock in the final for impact, especially given the context. A trophy — which was never presented — on the line, a final to win, an old foe to conquer for the third time in as many Sundays. Tilak will be less than human if he wasn’t affected by all this, but like a true professional, he refused to let emotion cloud his judgement, his eerie outward calmness shattered only when Rinku Singh plonked the winning boundary.
Asia’s best by far
India are head and shoulders above the best of the rest in Asia, the slip-up against Sri Lanka notwithstanding. They will become even more formidable when Suryakumar Yadav and Shubman Gill rediscover run-making ways. They are already the most feared T20 side in the universe, a huge compliment given the fickleness of the format, and they are showing no signs of letting up. Now that the rest have been forewarned, it will be interesting to see how they come armed.
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