Asia Cup, the premier limited-overs tournament of Asian countries has been evolving in terms of format and domination over the last 34 years. The first ever edition was played in 1984 involving only three teams and didn’t even have a final as it was completed in only three games. The current edition of the tournament lasts 13 matches which includes as many as five full-member countries.

Asia Cup was even played in the T20I format ahead of the World T20 in 2016. Here are some of the best and significant moments recorded in the history of the Asia Cup thus far:

1. Afridi vs Ashwin in 2014:

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/09/Shahid-Afridi.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-280278" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Shahid-Afridi.jpg" alt="Shahid Afridi" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-280278" class="wp-caption-text">Pakistan cricketer Sahid Afridi reacts after winning the sixth match of the Asia Cup. (Photo Source: MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP/Getty Images)</figcaption>

India and Pakistan faced off in the 2014 Asia Cup for the first time since the CT 2013 meeting. India batted first after losing the toss but Rohit Sharma got into the Pakistan bowling with a quick-fire fifty. The opener brought up his fifty in just 44 balls despite losing Shikhar Dhawan and the skipper Virat Kohli at the other end. Rohit got out for a 58-ball 56 and things slowed down during the middle overs as Ajinkya Rahane and Dinesh Karthik made 23 runs apiece in 50 and 46 balls respectively.

Ambati Rayudu kept the scoreboard ticking at one end with a 58-run knock in 62 balls. Ravindra Jadeja finished the innings with an unbeaten 52 off 49 balls to help India finish on 245/8. Pakistan were cruising in the chase thanks to a 71-run opening stand in only 11 overs. However, the introduction of the spinners started to pull India back into the game. Mohammad Hafeez anchored the chase with 75 off 130 balls as Pakistan needed 46 more runs heading into the 44th over.

Things changed dramatically for Pakistan after Hafeez got out in the 44th over at the score of 200/5. Ravichandran Ashwin was given the responsibility to defend ten runs in the final over and cleaned up Saeed Ajmal with a carom ball first up. Junaid Khan managed to get Shahid Afridi on strike with a single. Afridi moved across to clear the fence over the covers region on the 3rd ball and finished off the game with another big hit over long-on to win it for his team in style.

2. Sachin’s 100th ton:

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-231260" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Sachin-Tendulkar-Suresh-Raina.jpg" alt="Sachin Tendulkar &amp; Suresh Raina" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-231260" class="wp-caption-text">Sachin Tendulkar. (Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption>

Sachin Tendulkar’s wait for his 100th International century completed one year as the master-blaster failed to convert the starts he got since his century against South Africa during the group stage game in the 2011 World Cup. Sachin played the Asia Cup for the first time in eight years and took on Bangladesh in the second game. Tendulkar looked determined to end his wait as he reached his fifty off 63 balls and raced towards the milestone with a 148-run stand for the 2nd wicket with Virat Kohli.

But on his way to a historic moment, Tendulkar needed as many as 138 balls for bringing up his century. It was Sachin’s slowest ODI century and also the slowest by an Indian in more than ten years. Despite Suresh Raina’s 38-ball 51 effort India added only 86 runs for the 3rd wicket in 65 balls. Tendulkar got out on the very next ball after a 147-ball 114. India finished on 289/5 in their 50 overs scoring 22 runs in the last ten deliveries.

Bangladesh kept themselves in the chase thanks to a 113-run stand for the 2nd wicket between Tamim Iqbal (70) and Jahurul Islam (53). However, Bangladesh were still needing 134 from 16.1 overs when Shakib Al Hasan decided to for a counter-attack. The all-rounder raced to a 31-ball 49 to bring down the equation to 66 off 49. Nasir Hossain anchored the chase with a 58-ball 54 along with his skipper Mushfiqur Rahim who blasted an unbeaten 46 in just 25 balls to take Bangladesh over winning like with four balls and five wickets to spare.

3. The best of Virat Kohli:

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/07/Virat-Kohli-2.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-265332" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Virat-Kohli-2.jpg" alt="Virat Kohli" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-265332" class="wp-caption-text">Virat Kohli of India. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)</figcaption>

India needed to defeat Pakistan in their final league match of the 2012 Asia Cup after losing to Bangladesh. A bonus point win will put India on the safe side but in case of Sri Lanka defeating Bangladesh in the following game, India’s line will be cleared even if they don’t defeat Pakistan by a bonus point. Pakistan came up one of the outrageous batting efforts on winning the toss. The opening pair of Mohammad Hafeez (105) and Nasir Jamshed (112) put on a record 224-run stand in only 35.5 overs.

Younis Khan scored a 34-ball 52 to push Pakistan’s total to 329/6. Hafeez, opening the bowling, dismissed Gautam Gambhir for a 2nd-ball duck. The experience of Sachin Tendulkar was joined by Virat Kohli as the pair kept India’s run-rate ahead of the required rate. The pair put on 133 in 19.1 overs only as Tendulkar scored 52 in only 48 what turned out to be his last ODI innings. Kohli, who got to his fifty in 52 balls, kept the chase moving along with Rohit Sharma.

The youngsters ensured Pakistan didn’t have any chance to make a return. Kohli was really special for India on that night as he kept finding the boundary hear and then and brought down the target with singles and doubles. Kohli’s second fifty came off 45 balls and 34 balls later, he brought up his maiden 150. The pair added 172 for the 3rd wicket before both got out in space on nine balls. Kohli made a record 183 in only 148 balls with 22 fours and a six while Rohit anchored the chase with 83-ball 68.

India needed only 12 runs from 17 balls when Kohli got out missing a realistic chance of scoring an ODI double ton. Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni needed only four more deliveries to saw the chase through. As a result, India kept themselves alive in the competition with a 6-wicket win but Bangladesh defeating Sri Lanka meant they qualify to final with Pakistan ahead of India due to head to head advantage.

4. Final between Pakistan and Bangladesh in 2012:

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/09/Asia-Cup-Final-between-Pakistan-and-Bangladesh-in-2012.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-280279" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Asia-Cup-Final-between-Pakistan-and-Bangladesh-in-2012.jpg" alt="Asia Cup Final between Pakistan and Bangladesh in 2012" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-280279" class="wp-caption-text">Asia Cup Final between Pakistan and Bangladesh in 2012. (Photo Source: MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP/Getty Images)</figcaption>

Bangladesh brought an end to the domination of the India and Sri Lanka teams who featured in the previous three Asia Cup finals. The hosts beat both the teams to make it to the final alongside Pakistan. It was also the final time a team other than India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka appeared in an Asia Cup final.

Bangladesh won the crucial toss and elected to bowl first in a tournament that witnessed teams chasing totals often. They nearly got better off Pakistan in the opening game of the tournament. Chasing 263 to win, the hosts were cruising at 224/5 in the 44th over. However, they ended up losing the last five wickets for 17 runs in only 29 balls. The home team bowlers did a good job in the final to keep Pakistan down to 236/9.

Tamim Iqbal’s fourth straight fifty of the tournament scoring 60 as Bangladesh raced towards the title. Shakib Al Hasan scored a 72-ball 68 and needed further 67 runs off 46 balls with six wickets in hand. Nasir Hossain, Shakib and Mushfiqur all got out in space of 17 deliveries leaving the hosts in tatters. Mashrafe Mortaza then came up with a 9-ball 18 to bring down the equation to 19 off 14 balls. Mahmudullah held the key for the hosts who needed nine from the last over with three wickets in hand.

The tension increased when the bowler Aizaz Cheema when the Riyad ran into the bowler attempting for a second run. Next two balls yielded only a leg-bye but Mahmudullah snatched three runs on the 4th delivery. Cheema kept the dangerous Mahmudullah off strike for the final two deliveries when they needed four by cleaning up Abdur Razzaq on the penultimate delivery. Cheema conceded only one run on the last ball as Pakistan won the Asia Cup for the first time after 12 years with a 2-run win.

5. India’s win over Sri Lanka in 2004:

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-280280" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/India’s-win-over-Sri-Lanka-in-2004.jpg" alt="India’s win over Sri Lanka in 2004" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-280280" class="wp-caption-text">India’s win over Sri Lanka in 2004. (Photo Source: ROB ELLIOTT/AFP/Getty Images)</figcaption>

India’s road to the finale in 2004 looked tough after their lost Pakistan in the Super 4s round. Sri Lanka sealed their spot in the final with bonus point wins against Pakistan and Bangladesh. India also had two bonus points by defeating Bangladesh and also during the loss against Pakistan. The bonus point India bagged against Pakistan kept their hopes of a final intact as a win was enough for them to edge out Pakistan.

India already lost to Sri Lanka by 12 runs during the group stage match chasing 283. India decided to bat first on winning the crucial toss but lost Sachin Tendulkar’s wicket early on. Later Virender Sehwag and Sourav Ganguly stitched on a 134-run partnership for the 2nd wicket in 25.5 overs. Sehwag scored a 92-ball 81 with six fours and two sixes while skipper Ganguly built the innings with 120-ball 79-run effort that included nine boundaries.

He later shared a 71-run partnership off 70 deliveries for the 4th wicket with Yuvraj Singh. Yuvraj quick-fire 50 that came off 46 balls helped India to finish on 271/6. Sanath Jayasuriya stood between India and an Asia Cup final as the opened kept the chase intact singlehandedly. The hosts were half down for 134 in the 27th over with Jayasuriya alone scoring 63 in 64 balls by then. A 103-run sixth wicket stand between the left-hander and Tillakaratne Dilshan brought down the equation to 35 off 37 balls.

The next four overs were bowled by Sehwag and Anil Kumble that yielded only 20 runs. Sehwag got better off Jayasuriya in the 48th after the opener scored a 132-ball 130 with 14 fours and a six. Irfan Pathan delivered four dot balls and gave away only four runs in the penultimate over while Zaheer came back well to defend the 11 runs in the final over after conceding five runs with the first three balls. India made it to the final with this 4-run win but hosts won the final with a 25-run win.

For all the latest cricket news and other updates follow <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/">CricTracker</a>.

Asia Cup, the premier limited-overs tournament of Asian countries has been evolving in terms of format and domination over the last 34 years. The first ever edition was played in 1984 involving only three teams and didn’t even have a final as it was completed in only three games. The current edition of the tournament lasts 13 matches which includes as many as five full-member countries.
Asia Cup was even played in the T20I format ahead of the World T20 in 2016. Here are some of the best and significant moments recorded in the history of the Asia Cup thus far:
<h3>1. Afridi vs Ashwin in 2014:</h3>
<figure id="attachment_280278" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-280278" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/09/Shahid-Afridi.jpg"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-280278" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Shahid-Afridi.jpg" alt="Shahid Afridi" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-280278" class="wp-caption-text">Pakistan cricketer Sahid Afridi reacts after winning the sixth match of the Asia Cup. (Photo Source: MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
India and Pakistan faced off in the 2014 Asia Cup for the first time since the CT 2013 meeting. India batted first after losing the toss but Rohit Sharma got into the Pakistan bowling with a quick-fire fifty. The opener brought up his fifty in just 44 balls despite losing Shikhar Dhawan and the skipper Virat Kohli at the other end. Rohit got out for a 58-ball 56 and things slowed down during the middle overs as Ajinkya Rahane and Dinesh Karthik made 23 runs apiece in 50 and 46 balls respectively.
Ambati Rayudu kept the scoreboard ticking at one end with a 58-run knock in 62 balls. Ravindra Jadeja finished the innings with an unbeaten 52 off 49 balls to help India finish on 245/8. Pakistan were cruising in the chase thanks to a 71-run opening stand in only 11 overs. However, the introduction of the spinners started to pull India back into the game. Mohammad Hafeez anchored the chase with 75 off 130 balls as Pakistan needed 46 more runs heading into the 44th over.
Things changed dramatically for Pakistan after Hafeez got out in the 44th over at the score of 200/5. Ravichandran Ashwin was given the responsibility to defend ten runs in the final over and cleaned up Saeed Ajmal with a carom ball first up. Junaid Khan managed to get Shahid Afridi on strike with a single. Afridi moved across to clear the fence over the covers region on the 3rd ball and finished off the game with another big hit over long-on to win it for his team in style.

<h3>2. Sachin’s 100th ton:</h3>
<figure id="attachment_231260" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-231260" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-231260" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Sachin-Tendulkar-Suresh-Raina.jpg" alt="Sachin Tendulkar &amp; Suresh Raina" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-231260" class="wp-caption-text">Sachin Tendulkar. (Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
Sachin Tendulkar’s wait for his 100th International century completed one year as the master-blaster failed to convert the starts he got since his century against South Africa during the group stage game in the 2011 World Cup. Sachin played the Asia Cup for the first time in eight years and took on Bangladesh in the second game. Tendulkar looked determined to end his wait as he reached his fifty off 63 balls and raced towards the milestone with a 148-run stand for the 2nd wicket with Virat Kohli.
But on his way to a historic moment, Tendulkar needed as many as 138 balls for bringing up his century. It was Sachin’s slowest ODI century and also the slowest by an Indian in more than ten years. Despite Suresh Raina’s 38-ball 51 effort India added only 86 runs for the 3rd wicket in 65 balls. Tendulkar got out on the very next ball after a 147-ball 114. India finished on 289/5 in their 50 overs scoring 22 runs in the last ten deliveries.
Bangladesh kept themselves in the chase thanks to a 113-run stand for the 2nd wicket between Tamim Iqbal (70) and Jahurul Islam (53). However, Bangladesh were still needing 134 from 16.1 overs when Shakib Al Hasan decided to for a counter-attack. The all-rounder raced to a 31-ball 49 to bring down the equation to 66 off 49. Nasir Hossain anchored the chase with a 58-ball 54 along with his skipper Mushfiqur Rahim who blasted an unbeaten 46 in just 25 balls to take Bangladesh over winning like with four balls and five wickets to spare.

<h3>3. The best of Virat Kohli:</h3>
<figure id="attachment_265332" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-265332" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/07/Virat-Kohli-2.jpg"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-265332" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Virat-Kohli-2.jpg" alt="Virat Kohli" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-265332" class="wp-caption-text">Virat Kohli of India. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
India needed to defeat Pakistan in their final league match of the 2012 Asia Cup after losing to Bangladesh. A bonus point win will put India on the safe side but in case of Sri Lanka defeating Bangladesh in the following game, India’s line will be cleared even if they don’t defeat Pakistan by a bonus point. Pakistan came up one of the outrageous batting efforts on winning the toss. The opening pair of Mohammad Hafeez (105) and Nasir Jamshed (112) put on a record 224-run stand in only 35.5 overs.
Younis Khan scored a 34-ball 52 to push Pakistan’s total to 329/6. Hafeez, opening the bowling, dismissed Gautam Gambhir for a 2nd-ball duck. The experience of Sachin Tendulkar was joined by Virat Kohli as the pair kept India’s run-rate ahead of the required rate. The pair put on 133 in 19.1 overs only as Tendulkar scored 52 in only 48 what turned out to be his last ODI innings. Kohli, who got to his fifty in 52 balls, kept the chase moving along with Rohit Sharma.
The youngsters ensured Pakistan didn’t have any chance to make a return. Kohli was really special for India on that night as he kept finding the boundary hear and then and brought down the target with singles and doubles. Kohli’s second fifty came off 45 balls and 34 balls later, he brought up his maiden 150. The pair added 172 for the 3rd wicket before both got out in space on nine balls. Kohli made a record 183 in only 148 balls with 22 fours and a six while Rohit anchored the chase with 83-ball 68.
India needed only 12 runs from 17 balls when Kohli got out missing a realistic chance of scoring an ODI double ton. Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni needed only four more deliveries to saw the chase through. As a result, India kept themselves alive in the competition with a 6-wicket win but Bangladesh defeating Sri Lanka meant they qualify to final with Pakistan ahead of India due to head to head advantage.

<h3>4. Final between Pakistan and Bangladesh in 2012:</h3>
<figure id="attachment_280279" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-280279" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/09/Asia-Cup-Final-between-Pakistan-and-Bangladesh-in-2012.jpg"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-280279" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Asia-Cup-Final-between-Pakistan-and-Bangladesh-in-2012.jpg" alt="Asia Cup Final between Pakistan and Bangladesh in 2012" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-280279" class="wp-caption-text">Asia Cup Final between Pakistan and Bangladesh in 2012. (Photo Source: MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
Bangladesh brought an end to the domination of the India and Sri Lanka teams who featured in the previous three Asia Cup finals. The hosts beat both the teams to make it to the final alongside Pakistan. It was also the final time a team other than India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka appeared in an Asia Cup final.
Bangladesh won the crucial toss and elected to bowl first in a tournament that witnessed teams chasing totals often. They nearly got better off Pakistan in the opening game of the tournament. Chasing 263 to win, the hosts were cruising at 224/5 in the 44th over. However, they ended up losing the last five wickets for 17 runs in only 29 balls. The home team bowlers did a good job in the final to keep Pakistan down to 236/9.
Tamim Iqbal’s fourth straight fifty of the tournament scoring 60 as Bangladesh raced towards the title. Shakib Al Hasan scored a 72-ball 68 and needed further 67 runs off 46 balls with six wickets in hand. Nasir Hossain, Shakib and Mushfiqur all got out in space of 17 deliveries leaving the hosts in tatters. Mashrafe Mortaza then came up with a 9-ball 18 to bring down the equation to 19 off 14 balls. Mahmudullah held the key for the hosts who needed nine from the last over with three wickets in hand.
The tension increased when the bowler Aizaz Cheema when the Riyad ran into the bowler attempting for a second run. Next two balls yielded only a leg-bye but Mahmudullah snatched three runs on the 4th delivery. Cheema kept the dangerous Mahmudullah off strike for the final two deliveries when they needed four by cleaning up Abdur Razzaq on the penultimate delivery. Cheema conceded only one run on the last ball as Pakistan won the Asia Cup for the first time after 12 years with a 2-run win.

<h3>5. India’s win over Sri Lanka in 2004: 
</h3>
<figure id="attachment_280280" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-280280" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-280280" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/India’s-win-over-Sri-Lanka-in-2004.jpg" alt="India’s win over Sri Lanka in 2004" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-280280" class="wp-caption-text">India’s win over Sri Lanka in 2004. (Photo Source: ROB ELLIOTT/AFP/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
India’s road to the finale in 2004 looked tough after their lost Pakistan in the Super 4s round. Sri Lanka sealed their spot in the final with bonus point wins against Pakistan and Bangladesh. India also had two bonus points by defeating Bangladesh and also during the loss against Pakistan. The bonus point India bagged against Pakistan kept their hopes of a final intact as a win was enough for them to edge out Pakistan.
India already lost to Sri Lanka by 12 runs during the group stage match chasing 283. India decided to bat first on winning the crucial toss but lost Sachin Tendulkar’s wicket early on. Later Virender Sehwag and Sourav Ganguly stitched on a 134-run partnership for the 2nd wicket in 25.5 overs. Sehwag scored a 92-ball 81 with six fours and two sixes while skipper Ganguly built the innings with 120-ball 79-run effort that included nine boundaries.
He later shared a 71-run partnership off 70 deliveries for the 4th wicket with Yuvraj Singh. Yuvraj quick-fire 50 that came off 46 balls helped India to finish on 271/6. Sanath Jayasuriya stood between India and an Asia Cup final as the opened kept the chase intact singlehandedly. The hosts were half down for 134 in the 27th over with Jayasuriya alone scoring 63 in 64 balls by then. A 103-run sixth wicket stand between the left-hander and Tillakaratne Dilshan brought down the equation to 35 off 37 balls.
The next four overs were bowled by Sehwag and Anil Kumble that yielded only 20 runs. Sehwag got better off Jayasuriya in the 48th after the opener scored a 132-ball 130 with 14 fours and a six. Irfan Pathan delivered four dot balls and gave away only four runs in the penultimate over while Zaheer came back well to defend the 11 runs in the final over after conceding five runs with the first three balls. India made it to the final with this 4-run win but hosts won the final with a 25-run win.
<h4 class="p1">For all the latest&nbsp;cricket news&nbsp;and other updates follow&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/">CricTracker</a>.</h4>

Asia Cup, the premier limited-overs tournament of Asian countries has been evolving in terms of format and domination over the last 34 years. The first ever edition was played in 1984 involving only three teams and didn’t even have a final as it was completed in only three games. The current edition of the tournament lasts 13 matches which includes as many as five full-member countries.
Asia Cup was even played in the T20I format ahead of the World T20 in 2016. Here are some of the best and significant moments recorded in the history of the Asia Cup thus far:
<h3>1. Afridi vs Ashwin in 2014:</h3>
<figure id="attachment_280278" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-280278" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/09/Shahid-Afridi.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-280278" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Shahid-Afridi.jpg" alt="Shahid Afridi" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-280278" class="wp-caption-text">Pakistan cricketer Sahid Afridi reacts after winning the sixth match of the Asia Cup. (Photo Source: MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
India and Pakistan faced off in the 2014 Asia Cup for the first time since the CT 2013 meeting. India batted first after losing the toss but Rohit Sharma got into the Pakistan bowling with a quick-fire fifty. The opener brought up his fifty in just 44 balls despite losing Shikhar Dhawan and the skipper Virat Kohli at the other end. Rohit got out for a 58-ball 56 and things slowed down during the middle overs as Ajinkya Rahane and Dinesh Karthik made 23 runs apiece in 50 and 46 balls respectively.
Ambati Rayudu kept the scoreboard ticking at one end with a 58-run knock in 62 balls. Ravindra Jadeja finished the innings with an unbeaten 52 off 49 balls to help India finish on 245/8. Pakistan were cruising in the chase thanks to a 71-run opening stand in only 11 overs. However, the introduction of the spinners started to pull India back into the game. Mohammad Hafeez anchored the chase with 75 off 130 balls as Pakistan needed 46 more runs heading into the 44th over.
Things changed dramatically for Pakistan after Hafeez got out in the 44th over at the score of 200/5. Ravichandran Ashwin was given the responsibility to defend ten runs in the final over and cleaned up Saeed Ajmal with a carom ball first up. Junaid Khan managed to get Shahid Afridi on strike with a single. Afridi moved across to clear the fence over the covers region on the 3rd ball and finished off the game with another big hit over long-on to win it for his team in style.

<h3>2. Sachin’s 100th ton:</h3>
<figure id="attachment_231260" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-231260" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-231260" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Sachin-Tendulkar-Suresh-Raina.jpg" alt="Sachin Tendulkar &amp; Suresh Raina" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-231260" class="wp-caption-text">Sachin Tendulkar. (Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
Sachin Tendulkar’s wait for his 100th International century completed one year as the master-blaster failed to convert the starts he got since his century against South Africa during the group stage game in the 2011 World Cup. Sachin played the Asia Cup for the first time in eight years and took on Bangladesh in the second game. Tendulkar looked determined to end his wait as he reached his fifty off 63 balls and raced towards the milestone with a 148-run stand for the 2nd wicket with Virat Kohli.
But on his way to a historic moment, Tendulkar needed as many as 138 balls for bringing up his century. It was Sachin’s slowest ODI century and also the slowest by an Indian in more than ten years. Despite Suresh Raina’s 38-ball 51 effort India added only 86 runs for the 3rd wicket in 65 balls. Tendulkar got out on the very next ball after a 147-ball 114. India finished on 289/5 in their 50 overs scoring 22 runs in the last ten deliveries.
Bangladesh kept themselves in the chase thanks to a 113-run stand for the 2nd wicket between Tamim Iqbal (70) and Jahurul Islam (53). However, Bangladesh were still needing 134 from 16.1 overs when Shakib Al Hasan decided to for a counter-attack. The all-rounder raced to a 31-ball 49 to bring down the equation to 66 off 49. Nasir Hossain anchored the chase with a 58-ball 54 along with his skipper Mushfiqur Rahim who blasted an unbeaten 46 in just 25 balls to take Bangladesh over winning like with four balls and five wickets to spare.

<h3>3. The best of Virat Kohli:</h3>
<figure id="attachment_265332" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-265332" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/07/Virat-Kohli-2.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-265332" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Virat-Kohli-2.jpg" alt="Virat Kohli" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-265332" class="wp-caption-text">Virat Kohli of India. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
India needed to defeat Pakistan in their final league match of the 2012 Asia Cup after losing to Bangladesh. A bonus point win will put India on the safe side but in case of Sri Lanka defeating Bangladesh in the following game, India’s line will be cleared even if they don’t defeat Pakistan by a bonus point. Pakistan came up one of the outrageous batting efforts on winning the toss. The opening pair of Mohammad Hafeez (105) and Nasir Jamshed (112) put on a record 224-run stand in only 35.5 overs.
Younis Khan scored a 34-ball 52 to push Pakistan’s total to 329/6. Hafeez, opening the bowling, dismissed Gautam Gambhir for a 2nd-ball duck. The experience of Sachin Tendulkar was joined by Virat Kohli as the pair kept India’s run-rate ahead of the required rate. The pair put on 133 in 19.1 overs only as Tendulkar scored 52 in only 48 what turned out to be his last ODI innings. Kohli, who got to his fifty in 52 balls, kept the chase moving along with Rohit Sharma.
The youngsters ensured Pakistan didn’t have any chance to make a return. Kohli was really special for India on that night as he kept finding the boundary hear and then and brought down the target with singles and doubles. Kohli’s second fifty came off 45 balls and 34 balls later, he brought up his maiden 150. The pair added 172 for the 3rd wicket before both got out in space on nine balls. Kohli made a record 183 in only 148 balls with 22 fours and a six while Rohit anchored the chase with 83-ball 68.
India needed only 12 runs from 17 balls when Kohli got out missing a realistic chance of scoring an ODI double ton. Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni needed only four more deliveries to saw the chase through. As a result, India kept themselves alive in the competition with a 6-wicket win but Bangladesh defeating Sri Lanka meant they qualify to final with Pakistan ahead of India due to head to head advantage.

<h3>4. Final between Pakistan and Bangladesh in 2012:</h3>
<figure id="attachment_280279" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-280279" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/09/Asia-Cup-Final-between-Pakistan-and-Bangladesh-in-2012.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-280279" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Asia-Cup-Final-between-Pakistan-and-Bangladesh-in-2012.jpg" alt="Asia Cup Final between Pakistan and Bangladesh in 2012" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-280279" class="wp-caption-text">Asia Cup Final between Pakistan and Bangladesh in 2012. (Photo Source: MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
Bangladesh brought an end to the domination of the India and Sri Lanka teams who featured in the previous three Asia Cup finals. The hosts beat both the teams to make it to the final alongside Pakistan. It was also the final time a team other than India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka appeared in an Asia Cup final.
Bangladesh won the crucial toss and elected to bowl first in a tournament that witnessed teams chasing totals often. They nearly got better off Pakistan in the opening game of the tournament. Chasing 263 to win, the hosts were cruising at 224/5 in the 44th over. However, they ended up losing the last five wickets for 17 runs in only 29 balls. The home team bowlers did a good job in the final to keep Pakistan down to 236/9.
Tamim Iqbal’s fourth straight fifty of the tournament scoring 60 as Bangladesh raced towards the title. Shakib Al Hasan scored a 72-ball 68 and needed further 67 runs off 46 balls with six wickets in hand. Nasir Hossain, Shakib and Mushfiqur all got out in space of 17 deliveries leaving the hosts in tatters. Mashrafe Mortaza then came up with a 9-ball 18 to bring down the equation to 19 off 14 balls. Mahmudullah held the key for the hosts who needed nine from the last over with three wickets in hand.
The tension increased when the bowler Aizaz Cheema when the Riyad ran into the bowler attempting for a second run. Next two balls yielded only a leg-bye but Mahmudullah snatched three runs on the 4th delivery. Cheema kept the dangerous Mahmudullah off strike for the final two deliveries when they needed four by cleaning up Abdur Razzaq on the penultimate delivery. Cheema conceded only one run on the last ball as Pakistan won the Asia Cup for the first time after 12 years with a 2-run win.

<h3>5. India’s win over Sri Lanka in 2004: 
</h3>
<figure id="attachment_280280" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-280280" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-280280" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/India’s-win-over-Sri-Lanka-in-2004.jpg" alt="India’s win over Sri Lanka in 2004" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-280280" class="wp-caption-text">India’s win over Sri Lanka in 2004. (Photo Source: ROB ELLIOTT/AFP/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
India’s road to the finale in 2004 looked tough after their lost Pakistan in the Super 4s round. Sri Lanka sealed their spot in the final with bonus point wins against Pakistan and Bangladesh. India also had two bonus points by defeating Bangladesh and also during the loss against Pakistan. The bonus point India bagged against Pakistan kept their hopes of a final intact as a win was enough for them to edge out Pakistan.
India already lost to Sri Lanka by 12 runs during the group stage match chasing 283. India decided to bat first on winning the crucial toss but lost Sachin Tendulkar’s wicket early on. Later Virender Sehwag and Sourav Ganguly stitched on a 134-run partnership for the 2nd wicket in 25.5 overs. Sehwag scored a 92-ball 81 with six fours and two sixes while skipper Ganguly built the innings with 120-ball 79-run effort that included nine boundaries.
He later shared a 71-run partnership off 70 deliveries for the 4th wicket with Yuvraj Singh. Yuvraj quick-fire 50 that came off 46 balls helped India to finish on 271/6. Sanath Jayasuriya stood between India and an Asia Cup final as the opened kept the chase intact singlehandedly. The hosts were half down for 134 in the 27th over with Jayasuriya alone scoring 63 in 64 balls by then. A 103-run sixth wicket stand between the left-hander and Tillakaratne Dilshan brought down the equation to 35 off 37 balls.
The next four overs were bowled by Sehwag and Anil Kumble that yielded only 20 runs. Sehwag got better off Jayasuriya in the 48th after the opener scored a 132-ball 130 with 14 fours and a six. Irfan Pathan delivered four dot balls and gave away only four runs in the penultimate over while Zaheer came back well to defend the 11 runs in the final over after conceding five runs with the first three balls. India made it to the final with this 4-run win but hosts won the final with a 25-run win.
<h4 class="p1">For all the latest cricket news and other updates follow <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/">CricTracker</a>.</h4>

Here are some of the best and significant moments recorded in the history of the Asia Cup thus far.

Asia Cup 2018: The best moments in the history of Asia Cup

Asia Cup, the premier limited-overs tournament of Asian countries has kept evolving in terms of format and domination over the last 34 years.