"Doesn't Get Enough Credit": India Cricketer Receives Massive Praise After Asian Games Gold

Indian cricket team after winning Asian Games 2026 gold medal.© X/@BCCI

Former India batter Aakash Chopra praised Shivam Dube and Tilak Varma for their heroics in the Asian Games 2026 cricket final. In the men's event, India faced arch-rivals Pakistan in a game that went down to the wire. Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to bat first. Led by Abhishek Sharma's 61 off 28 balls, India got off to a flying start, but Pakistan managed to pull things back in the middle overs. Later in the innings, Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube stitched together a match-defining 62-run stand off 30 balls for the sixth wicket.

While speaking on Cricinfo's YouTube channel, Chopra said that Dube needs to be given more credit for his contributions to the team.

"I think he doesn't get enough credit. He's got an exceptional skill and quality to hit sixes. He takes down spinners for fun. He also allows the team to plan accordingly as far as their batting resources are concerned. Something that India did throughout their 2026 World Cup-winning campaign," said Chopra.

"If there is a period where spinners are likely to dominate, you throw him in and he'll take them apart. And to do that in big games, finals, World Cup finals, it takes some doing. It is exceptional and he should be applauded a little more," he added.

Speaking about Tilak Varma, Chopra said the southpaw has developed a tendency to perform against Pakistan.

In the Asian Games 2026 final, Dube scored 27 off 15 balls, while Tilak smashed an unbeaten 51 off 22 deliveries.

In the Asia Cup final last year, Tilak scored an unbeaten 69 off 53 balls to help India register a terrific comeback victory against Pakistan in Dubai.

"He is getting the knack of getting the better of Pakistan. The Asia Cup comes to your mind. It was a tricky run chase, and he was there till the end. He guided the team home on a slightly tough pitch. Here, he didn't really start with a bang. I think there was a period when India didn't get a boundary. Then he exploded and took the team to a total which was eventually defendable," Chopra said.

Featured Video Of The Day

India Ends CWG Boxing Campaign With Record-Breaking Seven Gold Medals