India beats Pakistan with only 2 balls left to win cricket’s Asia Cup but refuses to receive trophy

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — India held its nerve in the last over to win cricket’s Asia Cup for the ninth time with a five-wicket victory over archrival Pakistan in Sunday’s final with only two balls remaining.

In the final twist of an occasionally troubled tournament, the Indian team declined to receive the trophy and winners’ medals from Mohsin Naqvi — head of the Pakistan Cricket Board and Asian Cricket Council, and also Pakistan's interior minister — and the tournament ended without either presentation.

Tilak Varma scored 69 not out for India off 53 balls, including a crucial six against Haris Rauf in the 20th over.

Rinku Singh hit the winning runs with a four — the only ball Singh faced in the entire tournament.

Put into bat, Pakistan had earlier collapsed from 113-1 to 146 all out in 19.1 overs at Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

That looked like being enough after defending champion India’s terrible start to its innings, dropping to 20-3 after four overs, including the prized wicket of Abhishek Sharma (5).

But Varma and Shivam Dube (33) led the recovery as India reached 150-5 in 19.4 overs.

Varma added 57 off 50 balls with Sanju Samson (24) but the game-changing partnership was between Varma and Dube (33 off 22 balls). The duo added 60 off 40 balls to snatch the game out of Pakistan’s hands.

It was India’s second T20 Asia Cup victory after 2016, and ninth overall since 1984, across formats.

This was the first India-Pakistan final in Asia Cup history, which started in 1984. The two sides had already met twice earlier in this tournament – in group play and Super Four — both won comfortably by India.

India’s cricketers refused to shake hands with Pakistan after both those games and there were no handshakes at Sunday’s toss or at the end of the game.

India’s chase got off to the worst possible start with a rare failure for aggressive opener Sharma. He was out caught for five off Faheem Ashraf.

Ashraf struck again to send back Shubman Gill for 12, while Shaheen Afridi got rid of skipper Suryakumar Yadav for just one.

Yadav’s miserable tournament ended with a total of 72 runs, while Sharma finished as the top run-scorer – 314 runs in seven innings at average 44.85 and strike-rate 200.

“It was not easy breaking into a T20 World Cup-winning team, but I backed myself," Sharma said. “More importantly, the captain and coach have backed me.”

But India was in deep trouble at 36-3 in the powerplay. Varma and Samson calmly rebuilt the innings without taking unnecessary risks. Samson faced 21 deliveries and only hit one six.

Samson was out in the 13th over, caught off spinner Abrar Ahmed, leaving India still needing another partnership.

Varma and Dube met the challenge. Dube hit two sixes and two fours, while Varma reached 50 off 41 balls.

Overall, Varma hit three fours and four sixes. He stayed calm even when Dube was out in the penultimate over.

Rauf bowled the final over with India needing 10 more runs for victory, and Varma got eight of them off the first two balls – including his fourth six. Singh then finished off with two balls to spare.

“It was a pressure situation but I just wanted to bat till the end,” Varma said. “They were mixing up the pace and bowling well. Sanju (Samson) was fantastic and Shivam (Dube) was helpful under pressure. I was backing my game and wanted to finish for my country.”

Earlier, Pakistan fumbled a great start and lost its last nine wickets for 33 runs in 39 deliveries.

Sahibzada Farhan (57 runs in 38 balls) and Fakhar Zaman (46 in 35) had given Pakistan a solid start at 84-0 but No. 3 Saim Ayub (14) was the only other Pakistan batter to reach double figures. Farhan hit five fours and three sixes.

Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav took 4-30 in four overs. Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel claimed two wickets each.

Bumrah claimed the last wicket as Pakistan’s innings ended in 19.1 overs.

Pakistan had enjoyed the powerplay – scoring 45 without loss — and was 87-1 at the halfway point.

Kuldeep Yadav broke the back of Pakistan’s innings, dismissing Salman Agha (8), Shaheen Afridi (0) and Ashraf (0) as the lower-middle order wilted under pressure. The turning point had come when Zaman was out caught in the 15th over against Chakravarthy.

The presentation ceremony was delayed for an hour after the final ball.

The Pakistan team collected its individual medals. Tilak Varma and Abhishek Sharma collected their individual awards – player of the match and tournament, respectively — but not from Naqvi.

However, the Indian team did not reappear for the trophy presentation.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I have been informed by the ACC that the Indian cricket team will not be collecting their awards tonight. So that does conclude the post-match presentation,” presenter Simon Doull announced.

Later, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said that the team had refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi.

Instead the Indian team celebrated on the ground and posed for photographers – without their medals or the trophy.

The Asia Cup has marked a resumption of cricket ties between India and Pakistan only months after the neighboring countries were engaged in a tense border situation in May that disrupted the IPL and the Pakistan Super League.

There were no handshakes at Sunday’s toss where India skipper Suryakumar Yadav spoke with former India cricketer-turned-broadcaster Ravi Shastri and Pakistan captain Agha talked with former Pakistan cricketer-turned-broadcaster Waqar Younis.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

Team India celebrates after winning the Asia Cup cricket final against Pakistan at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

India's Tilak Varma reacts after India won the Asia Cup cricket final against Pakistan at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

India's Tilak Varma celebrates his fifty runs during the Asia Cup cricket final between India and Pakistan at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

India's Tilak Varma, left, and batting partner Shivam Dube touch gloves during the Asia Cup cricket final between India and Pakistan at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

India's Tilak Varma bats during the Asia Cup cricket final between India and Pakistan at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

A private security guard pacifies India and Pakistani fans during the Asia Cup cricket final between India and Pakistan at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

India's Jasprit Bumrah celebrates after taking the catch of Pakistan's Saim Ayub during the Asia Cup cricket final between India and Pakistan at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Pakistan's Fakhar Zaman, left, and batting partner Sahibzada Farhan run between the wickets during the Asia Cup Cricket match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka at Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi , United Arab Emirates, Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Indian players celebrate the wicket of Pakistan's captain Salman Agha during the Asia Cup cricket final between India and Pakistan at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

India's fans cheer for their team before the start of the Asia Cup cricket final between India and Pakistan to begin at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

India's Abhishek Sharma, left, and teammate Shubman Gill have a chat before the start of the Asia Cup cricket final between India and Pakistan at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

India's and Pakistan's fans carry their national flags as they wait for the Asia Cup cricket final between India and Pakistan to begin at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Pakistan's captain Salman Agha, left, and India's captain Suryakumar Yadav, center, walk out on to the field for the national anthems before the Asia Cup cricket final between India and Pakistan at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

NEW YORK (AP) — Thursday was the final day to select an Affordable Care Act health insurance plan across much of the country, as the expiration of federal subsidies drives up health costs and lawmakers remain locked in a debate over how to address the issue.

That's when the open enrollment window ends in most states for plans that start in February. About 10 states that run their own marketplaces have later deadlines, or have extended them to the end of the month to give their residents more time.

The date is a crucial one for millions of small business owners, gig workers, farmers, ranchers and others who don't get their health insurance from a job and therefore rely on marketplace plans. A record 24 million Americans purchased Affordable Care Act health plans last year.

But this year, their decisions over health coverage have been more difficult than usual as clarity over how much it will cost is hard to come by. And so far, enrollment is lagging behind last year's numbers — with about 22.8 million Americans having signed up so far, according to federal data.

Last year, for months, it was unclear whether Congress would allow for the end-of-year expiration of COVID-era expanded subsidies that had offset costs for more than 90% of enrollees. Democrats forced a record-long government shutdown over the issue, but still couldn't get a deal done. So the subsidies expired Jan. 1, leaving the average subsidized enrollee with more than double the monthly premium costs for 2026, according to an analysis from the health care nonprofit KFF.

Still, the question of whether Congress would resurrect the tax credits loomed over Washington. Several enrollees told The Associated Press they have either delayed signing up for coverage or signed up with a plan to cancel as they anxiously watch what's happening on Capitol Hill.

Last week, the House passed a three-year extension of the subsidies after 17 Republicans joined with Democrats against the wishes of Republican leaders. But the Senate rejected a similar bill last year.

Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, has been leading a bipartisan group of 12 senators trying to devise a compromise and said this week that he expects to have a proposal by the end of the month. The contours of the senators’ bipartisan plan involves a two-year deal that would extend the enhanced subsidies while adding new limits on who can receive them. The proposal would also create the option, in the second year, of a new health savings account that President Donald Trump and Republicans prefer.

Under the deal being discussed, the ACA open enrollment period would be extended to March 1 of this year to allow people more time to figure out their coverage plans after the disruption.

Still, Republicans and Democrats say they have not completed the plan, and the two sides have yet to agree if there should be new limits on whether states can use separate funds for abortion coverage.

President Donald Trump on Thursday announced outlines of a plan he wants Congress to consider that would. It would, among other things, redirect ACA subsidies into health savings accounts that go directly to consumers. Democrats have largely rebuffed this idea as inadequate for offsetting health costs for most people.

Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick and Lisa Mascaro contributed from Washington.

FILE - Pages from the U.S. Affordable Care Act health insurance website healthcare.gov are seen on a computer screen in New York, Aug. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Patrick Sison, File)