KATHMANDU: India defeated Pakistan by five wickets in a nail-biting final to claim their ninth Asia Cup crown on Sunday.

The match went down to the last over, with Tilak Varma anchoring the chase with an unbeaten 69 off 53 balls and Rinku Singh sealing victory with a boundary off the only delivery he faced in the tournament.

Earlier, Kuldeep Yadav’s brilliant spell of 4/26 helped India dismiss Pakistan for just 146 runs. But India’s chase got off to a disastrous start, losing three wickets inside the first three overs, including in-form opener Abhishek Sharma.

Tilak, however, steadied the innings alongside Sanju Samson, who contributed 30 in a 57-run stand. After Samson’s dismissal in the 13th over, Shivam Dube joined Tilak to build another crucial partnership, adding 33 off 22 balls.

Their efforts ensured India overcame the early collapse and crossed the finish line with balls to spare, securing yet another Asia Cup triumph against their arch-rivals.