Asia Cup is a tournament where teams from the sub-continent go against each other for the title of the best team in Asia. It started in 1984, and the most recent edition happened just a few months earlier. Over the years there have been some high-octane clashes in the competition which have been etched in history. From ruthless hammerings to shocking upsets, the Asia Cup has seen it all happening. The number of participating teams has also increased over the years. Here’s a list of 10 of the most iconic matches in the tournament.
1. India Vs Pakistan, 1986
India had set a target of 246 runs for Pakistan. They looked in a comfortable position to win as Pakistan kept losing wickets at regular intervals. None of their batters were able to score big except Javed Miandad. He stayed till the end and scored a century as Pakistan required four runs off one ball with one wicket remaining. Miandad smashed Chetan Sharma for a six, thereby single-handedly winning the Cup for Pakistan.
2. India Vs Pakistan, 2010
With 268 runs needed to win, India made a good start, with Gautam Gambhir making 83. However, they kept losing wicket and Dhoni was the only player to register a fifty-plus score. With Suresh Raina getting out on the second ball of the last over, India needed six runs off four balls with Harbhajan Singh and Praveen Kumar batting. Singh smashed a six off Amir with three runs required in two balls, and India won by three wickets, with a ball to spare.
3. India Vs Bangladesh, 2012
It was an iconic match for the game of cricket as Sachin Tendulkar became the first and only player to score 100 international centuries. Thanks to him and Kohli, India set a competitive target of 290. However, Bangladesh shocked everyone with their brilliant performance with three batters scoring fifties and two falling just short but getting the work done. It was a terrible upset which saw Bangladesh winning by five wickets.
4. Bangladesh Vs Pakistan, 2014
Batting first, Bangladesh set a massive target of 327 for Pakistan. Pakistan started well, putting 97 before the first wicket fell. A couple of quick wickets shifted the momentum until Pakistan stitched some partnerships. They needed two off three balls when Fawad Alam was run out. Akmal got the next ball to the boundary, and Pakistan won the match, a nail-biting thriller, by three wickets.
5. Sri Lanka Vs Afghanistan, 2023
Chasing 292, Afghanistan looked out of the game till Mohammad Nabi came in and hit 65 off 32 balls, bringing the game back to life. Rashid Khan tried his best, leaving three off one to get for Mujeeb. However, a lack of communication from the dressing room meant that the batters did not know they would have qualified had they scored 295 in 37.5 overs. The result of this miscommunication saw Sri Lanka proceed in the tournament.
6. India Vs Pakistan, 2014
With a competitive target 245, India had the upper hand until Shahid Afridi came in with his fantastic hitting abilities. Pakistan needed ten off the last over. Ashwin with the ball in hand got Ajmal on the first ball and Pakistan were nine wickets down with nine to get off three balls. It was then that Afridi hit Ashwin for two consecutive sixes, taking Pakistan over the line.
7. India Vs Pakistan, 2012
Batting first, Pakistan scored a massive 330 runs thanks to centuries from Hafeez and Jamshed. An early wicket put India on the backfoot but Kohli along with Sachin stitched a partnership to steady the ship. After that, it was one way traffic with Kohli scoring 183 runs, more than half the target leaving India sure to win. It was the most successful run chase for India at the time.
8. Bangladesh Vs Pakistan, 2012
Bangladesh put on an excellent bowling performance to restrict Pakistan to 236 runs in the final of the Asia Cup. They looked in a commanding position to win the game when Umar Gul removed Tamim Iqbal. What once looked like a walk in the park suddenly seemed a lot more complex, and Bangladesh crumbled under the pressure, losing in the end by merely two runs.
9. India Vs Afghanistan, 2018
Batting first, Afghanistan set a challenging total of 252 runs, thanks to a century from Shahzad and a fifty from Nabi. The Indian top order played well but middle order failed to deliver. Needing seven to win off the last over with one wicket left, Jadeja smashed a four off Rashid, leaving one to get off two. He went for a big shot to get over the line instead of a single and got out, resulting in a tie.
10. India Vs Bangladesh, 2018
The tournament finals saw Bangladesh score a decent 222 runs batting first. Rohit Sharma was the top scorer for India, with contributions from the middle order. India needed six off the last over. Dealing in ones and twos, it came down to one run off one ball. It was a leg bye which took India home, winning the match by three wickets and what was their seventh Asia Cup.
