Latest Asia Cup News
India Hammer Pakistan By Record Margin
Brave Afghanistan Denied As Sri Lanka Scrape Through
What is the Asia Cup?
The Asia Cup is a tournament organised by the Asia Cricket Council that started exclusively as a ODI tournament but now alternates between that and the T20 format. It’s a prestigious tournament for cricket obsessed fans in the sub continent who are vying to be the Champions of Asia.
When is the Asia Cup played?
The Asia Cup generally takes place every two years. The next edition of the competition will take place in Pakistan (subject to change) in September 2023 as a ODI competition in preparation for the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup.
History of the Asia Cup
The first Asia Cup was contested in Sharjah, UAE in 1984, shortly after the formation of Asian Cricket council in 1983. The India national cricket team can be considered the most successful team in the tournament’s history taking home 7 titles (6 ODI and 1 T20) with the Sri Lanka national cricket team closely following with 6 victories in the competition.
Top run score in the Asia Cup
Destructive Sri Lankan opener Sanath Jayasuriya is the leading batter in the history of Asian Cup cricket. The explosive left hander scored 1,220 runs at an average of 53.05 registering six centuries.
Top wicket taker in the Asia Cup
A Sri Lankan cricket legend also leads the way with wickets in the Asia Cup. Mystery off spinner Muttiah Murralithran took 30 wickets in the Asia Cup, at an outstanding economy rate of 3.75.
Memorable games in the Asia Cup
Virat Kohli is regarded as one the finest ODI batters ever to play the game, he is particularly adept at chasing. This was never more prevalent than in the Asia Cup against the fierce Pakistan national cricket team in 2012 at Mirpur. The home crowd would have been confident as they posted an imposing 329/6 with openers Mohammad Hafeez and Nasir Jamshed scoring centuries but they were silenced by Kohli’s brilliant 183 off just 148 balls, featuring 22 fours and a six. India won by 6 wickets with 13 balls to spare.
Again in the 2012 tournament Indian great Sachin Tendulkar secured a feat which is hard to envisage ever being matched. He scored his 100th international century against the Bangladesh national cricket team at Mirpur. He made 114 in India’s 289 for 5. Despite Sachin’s incredible personal milestone it wasn’t India’s day as they lost the Asia Cup by five wickets. Tamin Iqbal top scored with 70 as solid contributions from Bangladesh’s middle order culminating is captain Mushfiqur Ramin’s 46 not out from just 25 balls saw the Tigers home by 5 wickets. Bangladesh would go on to lose the final of the Asia Cup to Pakistan in heart-breaking fashion by just two runs.
Similar competitions to Asia Cup
As this tournament alternates between ODI and T20 formats people interested in this may also wish to check out sections on the ICC T20 World Cup and the ICC Mens Cricket World Cup.
