Asia Cup

The Men's Asia Cup is a biennial cricket tournament organized by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). It features senior men's national teams from Asian member countries and determines the continental cricket champion of Asia.^[3] The tournament was established in the year 1983, coinciding with the formation of the Asian Cricket Council, as an effort to promote goodwill among Asian countries through cricket. India boycotted the 1986 edition due to strained cricketing relations with Sri Lanka, while Pakistan withdrew from the 1990–91 edition because of political tensions with India. The 1993 tournament was also cancelled for similar reasons. The ACC later announced that the event would be held biennially starting from 2009. The ICC recognizes all Asia Cup matches as official ODI games. After downsizing the Asian Cricket Council in 2015, it was announced by the ICC that Asia Cup events from 2016 would be played on a rotation basis between One Day International and Twenty20 International format, on the basis of the format of upcoming world events. As a result, the 2016 event was the first event played in the T20I format and functioned as a preparatory tournament ahead of the 2016 ICC World Twenty20.^[4]

India, with nine titles (seven ODI and two T20I), is the most successful team in the tournament. Sri Lanka is the second most successful team with six titles (five ODI and one T20I), while Pakistan have won two. Sri Lanka has participated in the most Asia Cups (17), followed by India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh (16 each).

History

1980s

The inaugural edition of the Rothmans Asia Cup took place in Sharjah, UAE, in 1984,^[5] coinciding with the establishment of the Asian Cricket Council headquartered in the same city. The event featured a round-robin format between India, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. India won both its matches to claim the first title, while Sri Lanka finished second after defeating Pakistan.^[6][7]

Sri Lanka hosted the second edition in 1986. India withdrew from the tournament due to strained cricketing relations with Sri Lanka after a controversial series the previous year.^[8] Bangladesh participated for the first time. Sri Lanka won the tournament by defeating Pakistan in the final.

The third edition, in 1988, was held in Bangladesh, marking the first time a multi-national cricket tournament was staged there. In the final, India beat Sri Lanka by six wickets to claim their second Asia Cup.

1990s

The fourth edition of the tournament was held in India in 1990–91. Pakistan withdrew because of strained political relations with India. India retained the Asia Cup by defeating Sri Lanka in the final. In 1993, the tournament was cancelled due to continued political tensions between India and Pakistan.

The fifth edition, in 1995, returned to Sharjah, UAE after eleven years. India and Sri Lanka reached the final by virtue of a superior run rate over Pakistan, as all three teams finished the preliminary round with equal points. For the third successive time, India defeated Sri Lanka in the final.

The sixth edition was held in Sri Lanka in 1997, where the hosts beat India in the final by eight wickets to win their second Asia Cup.

2000s

The seventh edition of the Asia Cup was held in Bangladesh in 2000, marking the second time the country hosted the tournament. Pakistan and Sri Lanka reached the final, while India won only one match (against Bangladesh) and, for the first time, failed to qualify for the final. Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka to win their maiden Asia Cup title, with Yousuf Youhana named Player of the Tournament.

The 8th edition took place in Sri Lanka in 2004 with a new format. UAE and Hong Kong joined the competition for the first time, making it a six-team event divided into three stages – Group Stage, Super Fours, and the Final. Sri Lanka, India, and UAE were placed in Group A, while Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Hong Kong were in Group B. UAE and Hong Kong were eliminated in the group stage. Bangladesh progressed to the Super Fours for the first time in a major tournament but failed to perform. India and Sri Lanka topped the Super Fours to reach the final, where Sri Lanka defeated India by 25 runs. Sanath Jayasuriya was awarded Player of the Tournament.

The 9th edition was hosted by Pakistan from 24 June to 6 July 2008, following the same format as 2004.^[9] Sri Lanka and Bangladesh qualified from Group A, while India and Pakistan advanced from Group B. In the Super Fours, India and Sri Lanka finished on top to enter the final. Sri Lanka won their fourth Asia Cup by defeating India by 100 runs. Sanath Jayasuriya scored 125 off 114 balls to rescue Sri Lanka from 66/4, while mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis produced a match-winning spell of 6/13. Mendis was named Player of the Tournament.

2010s

The tenth edition was held in Sri Lanka, between 15 and 24 June 2010 hosting the Asia Cup for the fourth time. It only featured the four Test playing Asian nations, and seven matches were played in all (including the final). Sri Lanka and India topped the group stages and entered the final. In the final, India beat Sri Lanka comfortably to become champions for the fifth time, winning the tournament for first time in 15 years.^[10] Shahid Afridi was the Player of the Tournament.

The eleventh edition of the Asia Cup was held in Dhaka, Bangladesh, from 11 to 22 March 2012. Pakistan and Bangladesh qualified to play in the final of the eleventh edition, Bangladesh had beaten India and Sri Lanka to book their place in the final for the first time in the history of the tournament. Pakistan beat Bangladesh after a thrilling final over, winning their second Asia Cup.^[11] Shakib Al Hasan was adjudged the Player of the Tournament. Sachin Tendulkar scored his 100th international century in this tournament.

The twelfth edition was held in Dhaka and Fatullah, Bangladesh, from 25 February to 8 March 2014. The tournament consisted of five teams with Afghanistan in it for the first time since its inception in 1984. Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan by 5 wickets in the final to win the Asia Cup for the fifth time. Lahiru Thirimanne was adjudged the Player of the Tournament scoring 279 runs.

After the Asian Cricket Council was downsized by the ICC in 2015, it was announced that Asia Cup tournaments would be played on rotation basis in ODI and T20I format.^[12][13] As a result, 2016 events was the first tournament in T20I format and was played by five teams just ahead of 2016 ICC World Twenty20. The 2016 edition of the Asia Cup tournament was held in Bangladesh for the third consecutive time from 24 February to 6 March. The final was held on 6 March 2016. India won the final by beating Bangladesh by 8 wickets in the final held at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium situated in Mirpur locality, Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is for the sixth time that India won the Asia cup title in 2016. Shikhar Dhawan of India was the man of the match for his 60 runs. Sabbir Rahman of Bangladesh was the player of the series. India won all of its matches played in Asia Cup 2016 beating Bangladesh 2 times, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and UAE.

On 29 October 2015, following the Asian Cricket Council meeting in Singapore, BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur stated that the 2018 edition of the tournament would be held in India. It will follow the ODI format.^[14] However, in April 2018, the tournament was moved to the United Arab Emirates, due to political tensions between India and Pakistan.^[15]

India were the defending champions,^[16] and retained their title, after beating Bangladesh by three wickets in the final.^[17] India did not suffer a single defeat in the tournament, with 2 wins each against Pakistan & Bangladesh, a solitary win against Hong Kong, and a tie with Afghanistan. Shikhar Dhawan was the top run getter with 342 runs in 5 matches, was awarded Man of the Series. Afghanistan was the only team in the tournament who remained unbeaten against eventual winners India.

2020s

The United Arab Emirates hosted the tournament and Sri Lanka won the Asia Cup beating Pakistan by 23 runs in the final. Sri Lanka reached the final as the only unbeaten team in the Super-Four stage winning against Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan.^[18] Bhanuka Rajapaksa was awarded Man of the Match for his unbeaten 71 off 45 balls, and Wanindu Hasaranga was second highest wicket-taker with 9 wickets in 6 matches, scored 66 runs in 5 innings and was named Player of the Series. Pakistan had an average start in the Asia Cup with a defeat against India in the group stage, beating India & Afghanistan in a close encounter in Super 4, ending with 2 back-to-back defeats against Sri Lanka. India started the tournament as hot favourites defeating Pakistan; however, they could not win against them and Sri Lanka in the super 4 and got knocked out of the tournament. Afghanistan was the only team in the tournament to defeat the eventual winners Sri Lanka.

Pakistan was awarded to host the tournament in 2023.^[19] However, the Indian cricket team was reluctant to visit Pakistan to participate in the tournament. So, after a lot of deliberation, India agreed to play in a hybrid model where India will play all their matches in another country and few other matches will be hosted in Pakistan. Thus, it was the first Asia Cup to be co-hosted by multiple countries; four matches were played in Pakistan, and the remaining nine matches were played in Sri Lanka.^[20] The five full members of the Asian Cricket Council were joined by Nepal, who made their ACC Asia Cup debut having qualified for the first time in qualifying the 2023 ACC Men's Premier Cup. India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan qualified to play in the tournament. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka qualified to play the Super fours stage. India and Pakistan played the finals, in which India defeated Pakistan by 5 wickets to win their ninth Asia cup title.^[21]

Revenue distribution

Around 80% of the tournament's revenue is generated from matches featuring India and Pakistan.^[22] To meet broadcasting demands, the two teams are often placed in the same group for commercial reasons.^[23] The five Full Members each receive approximately 15% of total revenue, with the remaining amount distributed among Associate and Affiliate national boards.^[22] The BCCI has publicly stated that it donates a portion of its share to smaller boards to support cricket development within and outside Asia.^[24]

Results

Tournament summary

Overall

The table below provides an overview of the performances of teams over past Asia Cup ODI and T20I tournaments.^[25][26]

ODIs

The table below provides an overview of the performances of teams over past Asia Cup ODI tournaments.^[27]

T20Is

The table below provides an overview of the performances of teams in the Asia Cup T20I tournament.^[3]

Note:

• The win percentage excludes no-result matches and counts ties as half a win.
• Teams are sorted by best result, then winning percentage, then (if equal) by alphabetical order.

Performance by teams

An overview of the teams' performances in every Asia Cup: India has most titles i.e. 9, while Sri Lanka has second highest 6.

Debutant teams in final tournament

Debutant teams in Asia Cup Qualifier

Championship summary

Ranking

Results

Summary

Qualification

Records and statistics

Broadcasters

See also

• Asian Cricket Council
• Women's Asia Cup
• ACC Premier Cup
• ACC Men's Challenger Cup
• ACC Trophy
• ACC Twenty20 Cup
• ACC Women's Premier Cup
• List of Asia Cup cricket records
• Cricket World Cup
• ICC T20 World Cup
• India national cricket team
• Sri Lanka national cricket team
• Pakistan national cricket team

References

1. ^ "Most runs in combined format". ESPNcricinfo
2. ^ "Most wickets in combined format". ESPNcricinfo
3. ^ "Result summary". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
4. ^ "Asia Cup format change confirmed by ICC". International Cricket Council. 3 February 2016. Retrieved 28 September 2025.
5. ^ "Asia Cup 1984: The beginning of continental cricket". BBC Sport. 6 April 2024. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
6. ^ Gupta, R. (2022). "Regional Cricketing Diplomacy: The Asia Cup's Political Significance". Asian Affairs. 55 (3): 412–425. Taylor & Francis. doi:10.1080/03068374.2022.1987654
7. ^ "Rothmans Asia Cup 1984 – Match Results and Statistics". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
8. ^ "Asia Cup Winners and Runners List (1984 – Present)". CricTracker.
9. ^ "Pakistan to host ninth Asia Cup". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 13 October 2005.
10. ^ "India defeat Sri Lanka to win Asia Cup". Sahara Samay. Archived from the original on 8 March 2012. Retrieved 25 June 2010.
11. ^ "Asia Cup: Pakistan beat Bangladesh in thrilling final". BBC Sport. 22 March 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2012.
12. ^ "Asia Cup to continue under ICC". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
13. ^ "Asia Cup to switch T20 format every alternate edition". cricbuzz. 16 April 2015. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
14. ^ "2016 Asia Cup in Bangladesh, 2018 in India: Thakur". The Times of India. 2015-10-29. Retrieved 2016-03-06.
15. ^ "2018 Asia Cup moved from India to UAE". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
16. ^ "India to host Asia Cup 2018 in UAE". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
17. ^ "India creep home in final-over thriller to defend Asia Cup title". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
18. ^ "New hosts confirmed for Asia Cup 2022". www.icc-cricket.com. Retrieved 2022-07-28.
19. ^ "Asia Cup 2023 will be played in Pakistan, confirms PCB chief Ramiz Raja"
20. ^ "Four Asia Cup matches in Pakistan; remaining nine in Sri Lanka". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
21. ^ "Winners India refuse Asia Cup trophy from ACC chief". Reuters. 2025-09-28. Retrieved 2025-09-30.
22. ^ "ACC increases Afghanistan's share in revised financial distribution". ESPNcricinfo. 13 March 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
23. ^ "India v Pakistan: Why broadcasters and sponsors seek frequent matchups". BBC Sport. 19 September 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
24. ^ "BCCI financial support helps Asian associates grow". The Hindu. 11 July 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
25. ^ "Asia Cup: History, winners and records". BBC Sport. 12 September 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
26. ^ Khan, Shahid (2024). "Continental cricket competitions: governance and economics of the Asia Cup". International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics. 15 (2): 210–225. doi:10.1080/19406940.2024.XXXXXX
27. ^ "Result summary". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
28. ^ https://www.espncricinfo.com/records/trophy/team-results-summary/men-s-t20-asia-cup-951
29. ^ "Asia Cup (ODI) Trophy team results summary | ESPNcricinfo"
30. ^ "Team records | Combined Test, ODI and T20I records | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo.com". Cricinfo. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
31. ^ "Sri Lanka's Sirasa TV Network secures Asia Cup cricket rights deal (2025–2027)". NewsFirst. Retrieved 10 September 2025.