Coming in with India reeling at 20/3, Tilak delivered an innings of poise and precision under pressure to hit three fours and four sixes in a knock to be remembered for ages. While others faltered, Varma stood tall by anchoring the chase and dished out a masterclass in timing and temperament.
Abhishek now has six such knocks, behind only Rohit Sharma (13) and Suryakumar Yadav (9). He also set a new Asia Cup record, hitting 17 sixes in the 2025 edition, the most ever in a single tournament across formats.
Pakistan looked set to get a much bigger total after racing to 91/1 in the first 10 overs, with Sahibzada Farhan, who hit 58, sharing a 72-run stand with Saim Ayub for the second wicket. But Pakistan lost momentum once Shivam Dube was introduced into the attack.
This milestone event, the first mega event of this kind to be hosted by India, will see over 2,200 para-athletes and support staff from 104 countries converging to compete across 186 medal events.
Earlier that morning, while the grounds were still quiet, children and adults with disabilities were the ones in the spotlight at Flushing Meadows. They learned the basics of tennis, from how to volley to how to hit a backhand, and put them on display at the Court of Dreams clinic.
