<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/09/Indian-team.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-278278" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Indian-team.jpg" alt="Indian team" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-278278" class="wp-caption-text">Indian team. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)</figcaption>

The 14th edition of <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/tag/asia-cup-2018/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Asia Cup </a>cricket tournament will be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) between September 15 and 28. The upcoming edition will take place in the 50-over format and will feature six teams, including a qualifier. The five other participants are holders India, runners-up of the last edition Bangladesh, former champions Sri Lanka and Pakistan and Afghanistan, who recently played their first Test.

The qualifying side will be picked through the Asia Cup qualifier that is being played in Malaysia and ends on September 6. The six teams in the fray are: besides hosts Malaysia, Hong Kong, Nepal, Oman, Singapore and the UAE. The qualifier will be clubbed with India and Pakistan in the actual tournament while the other group features Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

Asia Cup is quite an old tournament which had seen political reasons interrupting participation by all members. In this article, we will take a look at the past editions of the tournament which was first played in 1984. Out of the 13 editions played so far, while India have won the tournament six times, Sri Lanka have won it five times and Pakistan twice. Sri Lanka, however, have played most number of finals (10); followed by India (eight), Pakistan (four) and Bangladesh (two).

1984 edition: Champions India

Three teams participated in the inaugural Asia Cup which was held in Sharjah, UAE, in April 1984. The tournament saw a round-robin format and there was no final as the team which won the most number of games lifted the title. Led by Duleep Mendis, Sri Lanka stunned Zaheer Abbas’s Pakistan by 5 wickets in the opening game but then it was <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/india-underused-hardik-pandyas-round-abilities-sunil-gavaskar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sunil Gavaskar</a>’s India that won two games on the trot to finish as the group toppers and hence the champions.

India defeated Sri Lanka by 10 wickets and Pakistan by 54 runs with Surinder Khanna bagging the Man of the Match awards in both matches and also that of the man of the series.

1986 edition: Champions Sri Lanka

India pulled out of this tournament held in Sri Lanka because of strained relations with the island-nation and were replaced by Bangladesh, a very young team then. Played in Colombo, Moratuwa and Kandy in March 1986, this edition also saw a round-robin format with the top two teams reaching the final.

Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 81 runs and Bangladesh by 7 wickets to reach the final while the hosts beat Bangladesh by 7 wickets to qualify for the final as the second team. In the final, Duleep Mendis’ Sri Lanka won by 5 wickets to bag their first Asia Cup title. Arjuna Ranatunga finished as the top scorer in the tournament and won the man of the series award.

1988 edition: Champions India

This edition was played in Bangladesh, still an associate member, and featured four teams, including the hosts along with India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Each team played three others with the top two qualifying for the final. Led by as many as three captains in the league matches, the Lankans reached the final with a hundred per cent record. India started well thrashing Bangladesh by 9 wickets but lost to Sri Lanka by 17 runs.

Pakistan also lost to Lanka and thumped Bangladesh and it made the India-Pakistan game a virtual semi-final and it was Arshad Ayub’s 5 for 21 which saw India win the encounter by 4 wickets to set up the final date with Sri Lanka. The final saw a mismatch as the Lankans were bowled out for 175 and India overhauling the target with 6 wickets in hand. Krishnamachari Srikkanth took three wickets in the final. <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/india-erred-in-not-picking-rohit-sharma-for-england-test-series-feels-dilip-vengsarkar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dilip Vengsarkar</a> was India’s captain in this edition.

1990-91: Champions India

The fourth edition was back to a three-team affair as Pakistan pulled out of the fray owing to poor relations with India. It was again a round-robin format and India faced Bangladesh in the first match and won it by 9 wickets. The Lankans then stunned India winning the game against the holders by 36 runs at Cuttack.

Arjuna Ranatunga’s Sri Lanka also defeated Bangladesh by 71 runs to qualify for the final. In the final played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata (Calcutta then), an unnoticed hat-trick by <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/kapil-dev-believes-team-india-will-learn-mistakes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kapil Dev</a> saw the Lankans losing their way towards the end and India eventually won the contest by 7 wickets to also win their third Asia Cup title. India’s captain was Mohammad Azharuddin.

1995 edition: Champions India

India completed their hat-trick of Asia Cup titles and won the fourth trophy overall defeating Sri Lanka in the final of the fifth edition of the tournament played in the UAE. Four teams took part in this edition with India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan finishing at four points in three games while the fourth side, Bangladesh failed to win any game.

However, India and Sri Lanka were better placed than Pakistan in terms of the run-rate to advance to the final. The Lankans defeated Pakistan in their last league match with almost 20 overs to spare, giving a glimpse of their batting style that would dominate world cricket in a few years’ time. The final, however, was one-sided with India thrashing the Lankans by 8 wickets. Azharuddin was India’s captain while Ranatunga led Sri Lanka. This is the first time that Pakistan, led by Moin Khan, won an Asian Cup encounter against India.

1997: Champions Sri Lanka

The four teams met for the sixth edition of the tournament in Sri Lanka in 1997 and the then world champions did not give anybody else a chance to win it on their soil. Led by Ranatunga, the Lankans defeated all three opponents to book their place in the final.

India and Pakistan finished on same points but the former, led by <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/sachin-tendulkar-bids-adieu-to-alastair-cook-praises-him-for-his-conduct/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sachin Tendulkar</a>, went through owing to a better run-rate. Bangladesh, on the other hand, lost all their three games. The final was again a one-sided affair with India at the receiving end this time. Ranatunga’s team won by 8 wickets to lift their second Asia Cup. The India-Pakistan game in this tournament was abandoned because of bad rain after Pakistan were reeling at 30 for 5.

2000 edition: Champions Pakistan

Pakistan had their first Asia Cup in 2000, 16 years since the tournament started, and they won it on the soil of Bangladesh. Captained by Moin Khan, Pakistan beat Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka to reach the final with a clean record.

India, led by <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/rahul-dravid-had-agreed-to-become-indias-batting-consultant-sourav-ganguly/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sourav Ganguly</a>, lost both to Pakistan and Sri Lanka and crashed out of the tournament while the Lankans qualified for the final as the second-best team. Sanath Jayasuriya’s side, who were playing their seventh consecutive final in the Asia Cup, lost it by 39 runs. In this edition, Pakistan defeated India by 44 runs.

2004 edition: Champions Sri Lanka

This edition played in Sri Lanka saw a rise in the number of participants in Asia Cup and for the first time, two groups were made comprising three teams each. Two associate members – Hong Kong and UAE – joined the fray in the eighth version. Pakistan and Bangladesh, who won their first game in Asia Cup, went through to the Super Four stage from one group while Sri Lanka and India advanced from the other group.

In the Super Four stage, Sri Lanka topped the table despite a loss to India while the latter overtook Pakistan to make the final despite having the same number of wins owing to a bonus point rule. Sri Lanka choked India in the final despite scoring a modest 228 runs to win by 25 runs. India lost their game to Pakistan by 59 runs in this edition. Marvan Atapattu was Sri Lanka’s captain while India were led by Ganguly.

2008 edition: Champions Sri Lanka

The ninth edition of the Asia Cup took place four years after the last one and it took place in Pakistan, for the first and the only time so far. Besides the regular four in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, two associate nations – Hong Kong and the UAE – participated and there were two groups comprising three teams each.

Sri Lanka and Bangladesh advanced to the Super Four stage from one group while India and hosts Pakistan made it from the other group. In the Super Four stage, Sri Lanka and India finished as the top two sides to march into the final which, however, was a one-sided affair with the Islanders winning by 100 runs. Spinner Ajantha Mendis took 6 for 13 to bowl out India while they were in the hunt for 274 to win. Mahendra Singh Dhoni was India’s captain while Lanka was led by Mahela Jayawardene. India and Pakistan won a game apiece in this tournament.

2010 edition: Champions India

India bagged their fifth Asia Cup title, defeating Sri Lanka in their own den in the final. The latter also made their ninth consecutive final in the tournament, something which no other team has accomplished till now. The tournament was back to its old four-team format with Sri Lanka and India finishing as the top two teams.

India lost only to Sri Lanka and they avenged the loss in the final which they won by 81 runs. <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ms-dhoni-spotted-riding-the-royal-enfield-bike-during-his-vacation-trip-in-shimla/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MS Dhoni</a> captained India in this edition while the Lankans were led by Kumar Sangakkara. India defeated arch-rivals Pakistan, led by Shahid Afridi, by 3 wickets in this tournament. Afridi was the man of the series.

2012 edition: Champions Pakistan

This edition was played in Bangladesh and like in 2000, the champions were Pakistan. Under <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/misbah-ul-haq-exhibits-the-shabby-cricket-infrastructure-in-pakistan-says-players-deserve-better/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Misbah-ul-Haq</a>, Pakistan finished as the group toppers and qualified for the finals with Bangladesh who ended second in the table, defeating India and Sri Lanka. The hosts led by Mushfiqur Rahim, then had a heartbreak in the final as they lost the game by just 2 runs.

This tournament was special as it saw former Indian captain Sachin Tendulkar hitting his 100th and final international hundred while <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/im-so-sorry-please-dont-ban-me-virat-kohli-recalls-the-fingergate-incident/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Virat Kohli</a> produced a memorable knock of 183 while successfully chasing a 320-plus target against Pakistan. That game was also Tendulkar’s final ODI.

2014 edition: Champions Sri Lanka

The 12th edition of Asia Cup was held in Bangladesh again and Sri Lanka won the title – their fifth – to draw level with India. The edition saw the four Test-playing nations in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh besides Afghanistan, who were not a Test-playing nation yet, competing. Sri Lanka won all their four games while Pakistan won three to qualify for the final while India crashed out by winning two and losing two of their four games.

Afghanistan pulled off a win over Bangladesh who finished winless. However, Pakistan were not third time lucky in Asia Cup held in Bangladesh as they lost the final by 5 wickets to <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/kumar-sangakkara-reinforces-the-importance-of-angelo-mathews-in-world-cup-squad/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Angelo Mathews</a>’ Lanka. For India, Virat Kohli was the captain. India lost their game against Pakistan narrowly by 1 wicket in this tournament.

2016 edition: Champions India

The latest edition of Asia Cup, also held in Bangladesh, was a T20 affair for it preceded the World T20 the same year. India won their record sixth title in this tournament, defeating hosts Bangladesh by 8 wickets in a one-sided final. The other three teams in the tournament were Sri Lanka, Pakistan and the UAE.

Led by MS Dhoni, India won all their four matches in the tournament while Bangladesh won three. Pakistan and Sri Lanka failed to qualify for the finals while the UAE lost all their games. In the high-voltage India-Pakistan game in this tournament, Pakistan were shot out for 83 and India lost half their sides to reach the modest target.

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<figure id="attachment_278278" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-278278" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/09/Indian-team.jpg"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-278278" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Indian-team.jpg" alt="Indian team" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-278278" class="wp-caption-text">Indian team. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
The 14th&nbsp;edition of <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/tag/asia-cup-2018/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Asia Cup </a>cricket tournament will be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) between September 15 and 28. The upcoming edition will take place in the 50-over format and will feature six teams, including a qualifier. The five other participants are holders India, runners-up of the last edition Bangladesh, former champions Sri Lanka and Pakistan and Afghanistan, who recently played their first Test.
The qualifying side will be picked through the Asia Cup qualifier that is being played in Malaysia and ends on September 6. The six teams in the fray are: besides hosts Malaysia, Hong Kong, Nepal, Oman, Singapore and the UAE. The qualifier will be clubbed with India and Pakistan in the actual tournament while the other group features Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
Asia Cup is quite an old tournament which had seen political reasons interrupting participation by all members. In this article, we will take a look at the past editions of the tournament which was first played in 1984. Out of the 13 editions played so far, while India have won the tournament six times, Sri Lanka have won it five times and Pakistan twice. Sri Lanka, however, have played most number of finals (10); followed by India (eight), Pakistan (four) and Bangladesh (two).
<h3>1984 edition: Champions India</h3>
<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/09/ASIA-CUP-WINNER-1984.png"><amp-img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-278566" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/ASIA-CUP-WINNER-1984.png" alt="ASIA-CUP-WINNER-1984" width="700" height="467" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a>
&nbsp;
Three teams participated in the inaugural Asia Cup which was held in Sharjah, UAE, in April 1984. The tournament saw a round-robin format and there was no final as the team which won the most number of games lifted the title. Led by Duleep Mendis, Sri Lanka stunned Zaheer Abbas’s Pakistan by 5 wickets in the opening game but then it was <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/india-underused-hardik-pandyas-round-abilities-sunil-gavaskar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sunil Gavaskar</a>’s India that won two games on the trot to finish as the group toppers and hence the champions.
India defeated Sri Lanka by 10 wickets and Pakistan by 54 runs with Surinder Khanna bagging the Man of the Match awards in both matches and also that of the man of the series.
<h3>1986 edition: Champions Sri Lanka</h3>
<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/09/ASIA-CUP-WINNER-1986.png"><amp-img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-278567" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/ASIA-CUP-WINNER-1986.png" alt="ASIA-CUP-WINNER-1986" width="699" height="466" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a>
India pulled out of this tournament held in Sri Lanka because of strained relations with the island-nation and were replaced by Bangladesh, a very young team then. Played in Colombo, Moratuwa and Kandy in March 1986, this edition also saw a round-robin format with the top two teams reaching the final.
Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 81 runs and Bangladesh by 7 wickets to reach the final while the hosts beat Bangladesh by 7 wickets to qualify for the final as the second team. In the final, Duleep Mendis’ Sri Lanka won by 5 wickets to bag their first Asia Cup title. Arjuna Ranatunga finished as the top scorer in the tournament and won the man of the series award.
<h3>1988 edition: Champions India</h3>
<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/09/ASIA-CUP-WINNER-1988.png"><amp-img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-278565" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/ASIA-CUP-WINNER-1988.png" alt="ASIA-CUP-WINNER-1988" width="699" height="466" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a>
This edition was played in Bangladesh, still an associate member, and featured four teams, including the hosts along with India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Each team played three others with the top two qualifying for the final. Led by as many as three captains in the league matches, the Lankans reached the final with a hundred per cent record. India started well thrashing Bangladesh by 9 wickets but lost to Sri Lanka by 17 runs.
Pakistan also lost to Lanka and thumped Bangladesh and it made the India-Pakistan game a virtual semi-final and it was Arshad Ayub’s 5 for&nbsp;21&nbsp;which saw India win the encounter by 4 wickets to set up the final date with Sri Lanka. The final saw a mismatch as the Lankans were bowled out for 175 and India overhauling the target with 6 wickets in hand. Krishnamachari Srikkanth took three wickets in the final. <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/india-erred-in-not-picking-rohit-sharma-for-england-test-series-feels-dilip-vengsarkar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dilip Vengsarkar</a> was India’s captain in this edition.
<h3>1990-91: Champions India</h3>
<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/09/ASIA-CUP-WINNER-1991.png"><amp-img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-278564" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/ASIA-CUP-WINNER-1991.png" alt="ASIA-CUP-WINNER-1991" width="700" height="467" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a>
The fourth edition was back to a three-team affair as Pakistan pulled out of the fray owing to poor relations with India. It was again a round-robin format and India faced Bangladesh in the first match and won it by 9 wickets. The Lankans then stunned India winning the game against the holders by 36 runs at Cuttack.
Arjuna Ranatunga’s Sri Lanka also defeated Bangladesh by 71 runs to qualify for the final. In the final played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata (Calcutta then), an unnoticed hat-trick by <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/kapil-dev-believes-team-india-will-learn-mistakes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kapil Dev</a> saw the Lankans losing their way towards the end and India eventually won the contest by 7 wickets to also win their third Asia Cup title. India’s captain was Mohammad Azharuddin.
<h3>1995 edition: Champions India</h3>
<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/09/ASIA-CUP-WINNER-1995.png"><amp-img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-278563" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/ASIA-CUP-WINNER-1995.png" alt="ASIA-CUP-WINNER-1995" width="699" height="466" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a>
India completed their hat-trick of Asia Cup titles and won the fourth trophy overall defeating Sri Lanka in the final of the fifth edition of the tournament played in the UAE. Four teams took part in this edition with India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan finishing at four points in three games while the fourth side, Bangladesh failed to win any game.
However, India and Sri Lanka were better placed than Pakistan in terms of the run-rate to advance to the final. The Lankans defeated Pakistan in their last league match with almost 20 overs to spare, giving a glimpse of their batting style that would dominate world cricket in a few years’ time. The final, however, was one-sided with India thrashing the Lankans by 8 wickets. Azharuddin was India’s captain while Ranatunga led Sri Lanka. This is the first time that Pakistan, led by Moin Khan, won an Asian Cup encounter against India.
<h3>1997: Champions Sri Lanka</h3>
<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/09/ASIA-CUP-WINNER-1997.png"><amp-img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-278562" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/ASIA-CUP-WINNER-1997.png" alt="ASIA-CUP-WINNER-1997" width="700" height="467" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a>
The four teams met for the sixth edition of the tournament in Sri Lanka in 1997 and the then world champions did not give anybody else a chance to win it on their soil. Led by Ranatunga, the Lankans defeated all three opponents to book their place in the final.
India and Pakistan finished on same points but the former, led by <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/sachin-tendulkar-bids-adieu-to-alastair-cook-praises-him-for-his-conduct/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sachin Tendulkar</a>, went through owing to a better run-rate. Bangladesh, on the other hand, lost all their three games. The final was again a one-sided affair with India at the receiving end this time. Ranatunga’s team won by 8 wickets to lift their second Asia Cup. The India-Pakistan game in this tournament was abandoned because of bad rain after Pakistan were reeling at 30 for 5.
<h3>2000 edition: Champions Pakistan</h3>
<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/09/ASIA-CUP-WINNER-2000.png"><amp-img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-278561" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/ASIA-CUP-WINNER-2000.png" alt="ASIA-CUP-WINNER-2000" width="699" height="466" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a>
Pakistan had their first Asia Cup in 2000, 16 years since the tournament started, and they won it on the soil of Bangladesh. Captained by Moin Khan, Pakistan beat Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka to reach the final with a clean record.
India, led by <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/rahul-dravid-had-agreed-to-become-indias-batting-consultant-sourav-ganguly/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sourav Ganguly</a>, lost both to Pakistan and Sri Lanka and crashed out of the tournament while the Lankans qualified for the final as the second-best team. Sanath Jayasuriya’s side, who were playing their seventh consecutive final in the Asia Cup, lost it by 39 runs. In this edition, Pakistan defeated India by 44 runs.
<h3>2004 edition: Champions Sri Lanka</h3>
<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/09/ASIA-CUP-WINNER-2004.png"><amp-img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-278560" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/ASIA-CUP-WINNER-2004.png" alt="ASIA-CUP-WINNER-2004" width="699" height="466" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a>
This edition played in Sri Lanka saw a rise in the number of participants in Asia Cup and for the first time, two groups were made comprising three teams each. Two associate members – Hong Kong and UAE – joined the fray in the eighth version. Pakistan and Bangladesh, who won their first game in Asia Cup, went through to the Super Four stage from one group while Sri Lanka and India advanced from the other group.
In the Super Four stage, Sri Lanka topped the table despite a loss to India while the latter overtook Pakistan to make the final despite having the same number of wins owing to a bonus point rule. Sri Lanka choked India in the final despite scoring a modest 228 runs to win by 25 runs. India lost their game to Pakistan by 59 runs in this edition. Marvan Atapattu was Sri Lanka’s captain while India were led by Ganguly.
<h3>2008 edition: Champions Sri Lanka</h3>
<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/09/ASIA-CUP-WINNER-2008.png"><amp-img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-278559" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/ASIA-CUP-WINNER-2008.png" alt="ASIA-CUP-WINNER-2008" width="701" height="467" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a>
The ninth edition of the Asia Cup took place four years after the last one and it took place in Pakistan, for the first and the only time so far. Besides the regular four in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, two associate nations – Hong Kong and the UAE – participated and there were two groups comprising three teams each.
Sri Lanka and Bangladesh advanced to the Super Four stage from one group while India and hosts Pakistan made it from the other group. In the Super Four stage, Sri Lanka and India finished as the top two sides to march into the final which, however, was a one-sided affair with the Islanders winning by 100 runs. Spinner Ajantha Mendis took 6 for 13 to bowl out India while they were in the hunt for 274 to win. Mahendra Singh Dhoni was India’s captain while Lanka was led by Mahela Jayawardene. India and Pakistan won a game apiece in this tournament.
<h3>2010 edition: Champions India</h3>
<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/09/ASIA-CUP-WINNER-2010.png"><amp-img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-278558" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/ASIA-CUP-WINNER-2010.png" alt="ASIA-CUP-WINNER-2010" width="699" height="466" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a>
India bagged their fifth Asia Cup title, defeating Sri Lanka in their own den in the final. The latter also made their ninth consecutive final in the tournament, something which no other team has accomplished till now. The tournament was back to its old four-team format with Sri Lanka and India finishing as the top two teams.
India lost only to Sri Lanka and they avenged the loss in the final which they won by 81 runs. <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ms-dhoni-spotted-riding-the-royal-enfield-bike-during-his-vacation-trip-in-shimla/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MS Dhoni</a> captained India in this edition while the Lankans were led by Kumar Sangakkara. India defeated arch-rivals Pakistan, led by Shahid Afridi, by 3 wickets in this tournament. Afridi was the man of the series.
<h3>2012 edition: Champions Pakistan</h3>
<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/09/ASIA-CUP-WINNER-2012.png"><amp-img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-278557" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/ASIA-CUP-WINNER-2012.png" alt="ASIA-CUP-WINNER-2012" width="701" height="467" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a>
This edition was played in Bangladesh and like in 2000, the champions were Pakistan. Under <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/misbah-ul-haq-exhibits-the-shabby-cricket-infrastructure-in-pakistan-says-players-deserve-better/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Misbah-ul-Haq</a>, Pakistan finished as the group toppers and qualified for the finals with Bangladesh who ended second in the table, defeating India and Sri Lanka. The hosts led by Mushfiqur Rahim, then had a heartbreak in the final as they lost the game by just 2 runs.
This tournament was special as it saw former Indian captain Sachin Tendulkar hitting his 100th and final international hundred while <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/im-so-sorry-please-dont-ban-me-virat-kohli-recalls-the-fingergate-incident/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Virat Kohli</a> produced a memorable knock of 183 while successfully chasing a 320-plus target against Pakistan. That game was also Tendulkar’s final ODI.
<h3>2014 edition: Champions Sri Lanka</h3>
<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/09/ASIA-CUP-WINNER-2014.png"><amp-img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-278556" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/ASIA-CUP-WINNER-2014.png" alt="ASIA-CUP-WINNER-2014" width="699" height="466" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a>
The 12th edition of Asia Cup was held in Bangladesh again and Sri Lanka won the title – their fifth – to draw level with India. The edition saw the four Test-playing nations in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh besides Afghanistan, who were not a Test-playing nation yet, competing. Sri Lanka won all their four games while Pakistan won three to qualify for the final while India crashed out by winning two and losing two of their four games.
Afghanistan pulled off a win over Bangladesh who finished winless. However, Pakistan were not third time lucky in Asia Cup held in Bangladesh as they lost the final by 5 wickets to <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/kumar-sangakkara-reinforces-the-importance-of-angelo-mathews-in-world-cup-squad/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Angelo Mathews</a>’ Lanka. For India, Virat Kohli was the captain. India lost their game against Pakistan narrowly by 1 wicket in this tournament.
<h3>2016 edition: Champions India</h3>
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The latest edition of Asia Cup, also held in Bangladesh, was a T20 affair for it preceded the World T20 the same year. India won their record sixth title in this tournament, defeating hosts Bangladesh by 8 wickets in a one-sided final. The other three teams in the tournament were Sri Lanka, Pakistan and the UAE.
Led by MS Dhoni, India won all their four matches in the tournament while Bangladesh won three. Pakistan and Sri Lanka failed to qualify for the finals while the UAE lost all their games. In the high-voltage India-Pakistan game in this tournament, Pakistan were shot out for 83 and India lost half their sides to reach the modest target.
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<figure id="attachment_278278" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-278278" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/09/Indian-team.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-278278" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Indian-team.jpg" alt="Indian team" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-278278" class="wp-caption-text">Indian team. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
The 14th edition of <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/tag/asia-cup-2018/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Asia Cup </a>cricket tournament will be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) between September 15 and 28. The upcoming edition will take place in the 50-over format and will feature six teams, including a qualifier. The five other participants are holders India, runners-up of the last edition Bangladesh, former champions Sri Lanka and Pakistan and Afghanistan, who recently played their first Test.
The qualifying side will be picked through the Asia Cup qualifier that is being played in Malaysia and ends on September 6. The six teams in the fray are: besides hosts Malaysia, Hong Kong, Nepal, Oman, Singapore and the UAE. The qualifier will be clubbed with India and Pakistan in the actual tournament while the other group features Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
Asia Cup is quite an old tournament which had seen political reasons interrupting participation by all members. In this article, we will take a look at the past editions of the tournament which was first played in 1984. Out of the 13 editions played so far, while India have won the tournament six times, Sri Lanka have won it five times and Pakistan twice. Sri Lanka, however, have played most number of finals (10); followed by India (eight), Pakistan (four) and Bangladesh (two).
<h3>1984 edition: Champions India</h3>
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Three teams participated in the inaugural Asia Cup which was held in Sharjah, UAE, in April 1984. The tournament saw a round-robin format and there was no final as the team which won the most number of games lifted the title. Led by Duleep Mendis, Sri Lanka stunned Zaheer Abbas’s Pakistan by 5 wickets in the opening game but then it was <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/india-underused-hardik-pandyas-round-abilities-sunil-gavaskar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sunil Gavaskar</a>’s India that won two games on the trot to finish as the group toppers and hence the champions.
India defeated Sri Lanka by 10 wickets and Pakistan by 54 runs with Surinder Khanna bagging the Man of the Match awards in both matches and also that of the man of the series.
<h3>1986 edition: Champions Sri Lanka</h3>
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India pulled out of this tournament held in Sri Lanka because of strained relations with the island-nation and were replaced by Bangladesh, a very young team then. Played in Colombo, Moratuwa and Kandy in March 1986, this edition also saw a round-robin format with the top two teams reaching the final.
Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 81 runs and Bangladesh by 7 wickets to reach the final while the hosts beat Bangladesh by 7 wickets to qualify for the final as the second team. In the final, Duleep Mendis’ Sri Lanka won by 5 wickets to bag their first Asia Cup title. Arjuna Ranatunga finished as the top scorer in the tournament and won the man of the series award.
<h3>1988 edition: Champions India</h3>
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This edition was played in Bangladesh, still an associate member, and featured four teams, including the hosts along with India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Each team played three others with the top two qualifying for the final. Led by as many as three captains in the league matches, the Lankans reached the final with a hundred per cent record. India started well thrashing Bangladesh by 9 wickets but lost to Sri Lanka by 17 runs.
Pakistan also lost to Lanka and thumped Bangladesh and it made the India-Pakistan game a virtual semi-final and it was Arshad Ayub’s 5 for 21 which saw India win the encounter by 4 wickets to set up the final date with Sri Lanka. The final saw a mismatch as the Lankans were bowled out for 175 and India overhauling the target with 6 wickets in hand. Krishnamachari Srikkanth took three wickets in the final. <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/india-erred-in-not-picking-rohit-sharma-for-england-test-series-feels-dilip-vengsarkar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dilip Vengsarkar</a> was India’s captain in this edition.
<h3>1990-91: Champions India</h3>
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The fourth edition was back to a three-team affair as Pakistan pulled out of the fray owing to poor relations with India. It was again a round-robin format and India faced Bangladesh in the first match and won it by 9 wickets. The Lankans then stunned India winning the game against the holders by 36 runs at Cuttack.
Arjuna Ranatunga’s Sri Lanka also defeated Bangladesh by 71 runs to qualify for the final. In the final played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata (Calcutta then), an unnoticed hat-trick by <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/kapil-dev-believes-team-india-will-learn-mistakes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kapil Dev</a> saw the Lankans losing their way towards the end and India eventually won the contest by 7 wickets to also win their third Asia Cup title. India’s captain was Mohammad Azharuddin.
<h3>1995 edition: Champions India</h3>
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India completed their hat-trick of Asia Cup titles and won the fourth trophy overall defeating Sri Lanka in the final of the fifth edition of the tournament played in the UAE. Four teams took part in this edition with India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan finishing at four points in three games while the fourth side, Bangladesh failed to win any game.
However, India and Sri Lanka were better placed than Pakistan in terms of the run-rate to advance to the final. The Lankans defeated Pakistan in their last league match with almost 20 overs to spare, giving a glimpse of their batting style that would dominate world cricket in a few years’ time. The final, however, was one-sided with India thrashing the Lankans by 8 wickets. Azharuddin was India’s captain while Ranatunga led Sri Lanka. This is the first time that Pakistan, led by Moin Khan, won an Asian Cup encounter against India.
<h3>1997: Champions Sri Lanka</h3>
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The four teams met for the sixth edition of the tournament in Sri Lanka in 1997 and the then world champions did not give anybody else a chance to win it on their soil. Led by Ranatunga, the Lankans defeated all three opponents to book their place in the final.
India and Pakistan finished on same points but the former, led by <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/sachin-tendulkar-bids-adieu-to-alastair-cook-praises-him-for-his-conduct/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sachin Tendulkar</a>, went through owing to a better run-rate. Bangladesh, on the other hand, lost all their three games. The final was again a one-sided affair with India at the receiving end this time. Ranatunga’s team won by 8 wickets to lift their second Asia Cup. The India-Pakistan game in this tournament was abandoned because of bad rain after Pakistan were reeling at 30 for 5.
<h3>2000 edition: Champions Pakistan</h3>
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Pakistan had their first Asia Cup in 2000, 16 years since the tournament started, and they won it on the soil of Bangladesh. Captained by Moin Khan, Pakistan beat Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka to reach the final with a clean record.
India, led by <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/rahul-dravid-had-agreed-to-become-indias-batting-consultant-sourav-ganguly/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sourav Ganguly</a>, lost both to Pakistan and Sri Lanka and crashed out of the tournament while the Lankans qualified for the final as the second-best team. Sanath Jayasuriya’s side, who were playing their seventh consecutive final in the Asia Cup, lost it by 39 runs. In this edition, Pakistan defeated India by 44 runs.
<h3>2004 edition: Champions Sri Lanka</h3>
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This edition played in Sri Lanka saw a rise in the number of participants in Asia Cup and for the first time, two groups were made comprising three teams each. Two associate members – Hong Kong and UAE – joined the fray in the eighth version. Pakistan and Bangladesh, who won their first game in Asia Cup, went through to the Super Four stage from one group while Sri Lanka and India advanced from the other group.
In the Super Four stage, Sri Lanka topped the table despite a loss to India while the latter overtook Pakistan to make the final despite having the same number of wins owing to a bonus point rule. Sri Lanka choked India in the final despite scoring a modest 228 runs to win by 25 runs. India lost their game to Pakistan by 59 runs in this edition. Marvan Atapattu was Sri Lanka’s captain while India were led by Ganguly.
<h3>2008 edition: Champions Sri Lanka</h3>
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The ninth edition of the Asia Cup took place four years after the last one and it took place in Pakistan, for the first and the only time so far. Besides the regular four in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, two associate nations – Hong Kong and the UAE – participated and there were two groups comprising three teams each.
Sri Lanka and Bangladesh advanced to the Super Four stage from one group while India and hosts Pakistan made it from the other group. In the Super Four stage, Sri Lanka and India finished as the top two sides to march into the final which, however, was a one-sided affair with the Islanders winning by 100 runs. Spinner Ajantha Mendis took 6 for 13 to bowl out India while they were in the hunt for 274 to win. Mahendra Singh Dhoni was India’s captain while Lanka was led by Mahela Jayawardene. India and Pakistan won a game apiece in this tournament.
<h3>2010 edition: Champions India</h3>
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India bagged their fifth Asia Cup title, defeating Sri Lanka in their own den in the final. The latter also made their ninth consecutive final in the tournament, something which no other team has accomplished till now. The tournament was back to its old four-team format with Sri Lanka and India finishing as the top two teams.
India lost only to Sri Lanka and they avenged the loss in the final which they won by 81 runs. <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ms-dhoni-spotted-riding-the-royal-enfield-bike-during-his-vacation-trip-in-shimla/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MS Dhoni</a> captained India in this edition while the Lankans were led by Kumar Sangakkara. India defeated arch-rivals Pakistan, led by Shahid Afridi, by 3 wickets in this tournament. Afridi was the man of the series.
<h3>2012 edition: Champions Pakistan</h3>
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This edition was played in Bangladesh and like in 2000, the champions were Pakistan. Under <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/misbah-ul-haq-exhibits-the-shabby-cricket-infrastructure-in-pakistan-says-players-deserve-better/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Misbah-ul-Haq</a>, Pakistan finished as the group toppers and qualified for the finals with Bangladesh who ended second in the table, defeating India and Sri Lanka. The hosts led by Mushfiqur Rahim, then had a heartbreak in the final as they lost the game by just 2 runs.
This tournament was special as it saw former Indian captain Sachin Tendulkar hitting his 100th and final international hundred while <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/im-so-sorry-please-dont-ban-me-virat-kohli-recalls-the-fingergate-incident/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Virat Kohli</a> produced a memorable knock of 183 while successfully chasing a 320-plus target against Pakistan. That game was also Tendulkar’s final ODI.
<h3>2014 edition: Champions Sri Lanka</h3>
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The 12th edition of Asia Cup was held in Bangladesh again and Sri Lanka won the title – their fifth – to draw level with India. The edition saw the four Test-playing nations in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh besides Afghanistan, who were not a Test-playing nation yet, competing. Sri Lanka won all their four games while Pakistan won three to qualify for the final while India crashed out by winning two and losing two of their four games.
Afghanistan pulled off a win over Bangladesh who finished winless. However, Pakistan were not third time lucky in Asia Cup held in Bangladesh as they lost the final by 5 wickets to <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/kumar-sangakkara-reinforces-the-importance-of-angelo-mathews-in-world-cup-squad/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Angelo Mathews</a>’ Lanka. For India, Virat Kohli was the captain. India lost their game against Pakistan narrowly by 1 wicket in this tournament.
<h3>2016 edition: Champions India</h3>
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The latest edition of Asia Cup, also held in Bangladesh, was a T20 affair for it preceded the World T20 the same year. India won their record sixth title in this tournament, defeating hosts Bangladesh by 8 wickets in a one-sided final. The other three teams in the tournament were Sri Lanka, Pakistan and the UAE.
Led by MS Dhoni, India won all their four matches in the tournament while Bangladesh won three. Pakistan and Sri Lanka failed to qualify for the finals while the UAE lost all their games. In the high-voltage India-Pakistan game in this tournament, Pakistan were shot out for 83 and India lost half their sides to reach the modest target.
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Asia Cup is quite an old tournament which had seen political reasons interrupting participation by all members.