Pakistan players had "a lot to say" to Tilak Varma when he walked to the crease during the Asia Cup final which fired up the Indian batter to play one of the most defining innings of his career thus far.
Having lost early wickets, India were in a precarious situation when Tilak came out to bat. Considering the hostilities between the two teams, there was plenty said to Tilak as well but he kept his composure to produce a batting masterclass in a high-pressure scenario.
"I wanted my bat to do the talking. They were saying a lot of things, I just wanted to respond with my bat. Now they are not visible on the ground," said Tilak in a chat with teammate Shivam Dube on BCCI.TV.
The 60-run stand between Dube and Tilak helped India win the Asia Cup with two balls to spare. Tilak remained unbeaten on 69 off 53 balls.
Tilak added that the atmosphere in the stadium fuelled him to excel in a high stakes contest.
"The chants of Vande Mataram in the stands gave me goosebumps. I just want to say Bharat Mata Ki Jai," added Tilak.