‘Bahut dar lag raha tha’: Shivam Dube opens up on India vs Pakistan match, his new role

After India’s dramatic five-wicket win over Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 final, all eyes turned to the Impact Player of the Match award. In keeping with tradition, a member of the support staff nominates the winner, and this time it was team physiotherapist Kamlesh Jain who had the honour.

Speaking at the presentation, Jain explained the choice, “What a day to give this medal. A big day, a big game, a big final and he had to do a slightly different role which the team wanted him to do. From bowling that first over and initial punch to those two crucial overs in the powerplay, and hitting those boundaries exactly when the team required it, today's impact player – Shivam Dube.”

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Dube, who played a key all-round role in India’s title-winning performance, was quick to give credit and speak honestly on the pressures he faced.

“Bowled the first over, I was under pressure 100%. If I say I wasn't, I'd be lying. I was very scared as well. But everyone supported me and it went away,” he admitted. His candid confession drew laughter and applause from teammates, highlighting the lighter side of the tense final.

Watch Shivam Dube's candid speech after winning Impact Player here

The all-rounder had an impressive outing with the ball, conceding just 12 runs in two overs during the powerplay. Overall, he conceded 23 runs in the 3 overs he bowled. He then built a vital partnership with Tilak Varma in India’s chase, adding 60 runs for the fifth wicket before being dismissed in the final ball of the 19th over. His contributions were crucial in steadying India’s innings after a shaky start.

India had earlier restricted Pakistan to 146 all out in 19.1 overs. Sahibzada Farhan (57 off 38 balls) and Fakhar Zaman (46 off 35) had given Pakistan a strong start, but India’s spin trio of Kuldeep Yadav (4/30), Varun Chakravarthy (2/30), and Axar Patel (2/26) triggered a collapse, with the last nine wickets falling for just 33 runs. Jasprit Bumrah also chipped in with 2/25.

Riding on Tilak Varma’s unbeaten 69 from 53 balls, India chased down the target with two balls to spare. This was India’s third victory over Pakistan in this edition of the Asia Cup and secured their second T20 Asia Cup title.

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