Last month, the Asia Cricket Council (ACC) finally decided the fate of the upcoming 16th edition of the Asia Cup 2023, which is scheduled to take place in Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The event will feature two groups, with two teams from each group qualifying for the Super Four stage. The top two teams from the Super Four stage will then compete in the final.
The edition will be held from August 31st to September 17th and will see India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Nepal compete in a total of 13 exciting matches.
Since its inception in 1984, the Asia Cup has witnessed fierce rivalries and showcased the cricketing prowess of teams, with India winning the event a record seven times.
1984 Asia Cup – India
The inaugural edition of the Asia Cup took place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 1984, with the participation of only three teams: India, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan.
The tournament followed a round-robin format, where each team competed against the others once. India emerged as the winner of the edition, defeating both opponents.
Sri Lanka secured the runner-up position by winning only one match against Pakistan. However, Pakistan ended their campaign without a single victory.
1986 Asia Cup – Sri Lanka
The second edition of the Asia Cup took place in Sri Lanka, with India refusing to participate in the tournament due to severe political tensions with Sri Lanka.
As a result of the absence of India, Bangladesh made its debut appearance in the Asia Cup, joining Sri Lanka and Pakistan as the third participating team.
Sri Lanka and Pakistan secured spots in the final after winning one and two matches, respectively with Sri Lanka emerging victorious by defeating Pakistan in the final.
1988 Asia Cup – India
Bangladesh hosted the third edition of the Asia Cup, featuring the participation of four teams. Alongside the hosts, India, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan also joined the competition.
The tournament adopted a round-robin format, where each team played against the other three teams once. The top two teams from the group stage advanced to the final.
India displayed their exceptional skills by securing a six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka. This impressive triumph marked India as the first team to clinch the title for the second time.
1990 Asia Cup – India
India had the privilege of hosting the Asia Cup in 1990 for the first time, while Pakistan chose not to participate in the competition due to strained bilateral relations with India.
The tournament followed a round-robin format, where each team played against the other once with the top two teams from this stage earning their spots in the final.
In the final match, India achieved a remarkable victory over Sri Lanka by successfully chasing down a total of 230 runs in 41.5 overs. This triumph secured their third Asia Cup title.
1995 Asia Cup – India
The 1995 edition of the tournament was held in the United Arab Emirates, with India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka participating.
The competition followed a round-robin format, where each team played against the others once. The top two teams from the group stage advanced to the final.
India and Sri Lanka emerged as the finalists in a highly anticipated clash, with India displaying their dominance by securing an impressive eight-wicket victory.
1997 Asia Cup – Sri Lanka
The 1997 edition of the Asia Cup took place in Sri Lanka, with the tournament featuring the participation of the hosts, defending champions India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.
During the league stage matches, Sri Lanka displayed their dominance by winning all three of their games, while India and Pakistan managed to secure one victory each.
Bangladesh had another disappointing performance as they failed to register a single win. In the final, Sri Lanka faced India, and it was the hosts who emerged victorious.
2000 Asia Cup – Pakistan
Bangladesh hosted the Asia Cup 2000 for the second time in its history. The competition saw the participation of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.
Despite India as the most successful team in Asia Cup history, they could not advance to the final, managing only one win. Pakistan faced Sri Lanka in the final match.
In a closely contested final, the Men in Green emerged as the victors, defeating Sri Lanka by 39 runs. This victory marked Pakistan’s first-ever Asia Cup triumph.
2004 Asia Cup – Sri Lanka
In 2004, the Asia Cup marked a significant milestone as more than four teams participated in the event for the first time. The event was held in Sri Lanka and featured a total of six participants.
The six teams included Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, and the United Arab Emirates. They were divided into two groups, with three teams in each group.
India and Sri Lanka emerged as the finalists from the group stage with the hosts securing 25 runs victory over the Men in Blue, claiming the prestigious Asia Cup title.
2008 Asia Cup – Sri Lanka
The Asia Cup in 2008 was hosted by Pakistan, attracting the participation of six teams: Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates, and Hong Kong.
Group A comprised Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the United Arab Emirates, while Group B included India, Pakistan, and Hong Kong with India and Sri Lanka emerging finalists.
In the final match, Sri Lanka displayed an exceptional performance, defeating the Men in Blue by a staggering 100-run margin to secure the continental championship.
2010 Asia Cup – India
The 2010 edition of the Asia Cup took place in Sri Lanka and included three other cricketing nations: India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
In accordance with the tournament format, each team competed against the others once during the league stage matches, and the top two teams advanced to the final.
The Dhoni-led side defeated Sri Lanka by a significant margin of 81 runs in the final match, thereby reclaiming the Asia Cup.
2014 Asia Cup – Pakistan
In 2012, Bangladesh hosted the Asia Cup with the participation of four other Test-playing nations from Asia in the 50-over tournament.
After the round-robin league in the event, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India each secured two victories, while Sri Lanka failed to secure a single win.
Pakistan advanced to the final by earning a bonus point, while Bangladesh qualified based on their superior head-to-head performance against India in the event.
In one of the most thrilling Asia Cup final matches, the Men in Green emerged victorious, defeating the host Bangladesh in the final over to secure their second Asia Cup title.
2014 Asia Cup – Sri Lanka
The Asia Cup of 2014 also took place in Bangladesh, marking another hosting opportunity for the country with the addition of another cricketing nation, Afghanistan.
It was in this edition that Afghanistan made their debut in the Asia Cup. The tournament included India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.
Sri Lanka and Pakistan emerged as the finalists by securing four and three victories while India concluded their campaign with two wins, while Bangladesh managed to secure just one win.
In the final match, Sri Lanka achieved a remarkable victory over the Misbah-ul-Haq-led side by five wickets, earning them their fifth Asia Cup title.
2016 Asia Cup in T20 Format – India
The 2016 edition of the Asia Cup marked the first instance of the tournament being played in the shortest format of cricket, and it took place in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the United Arab Emirates participated in this edition, with both the finalists from 2014 being knocked out in the group stage.
In the end, India and Bangladesh emerged as the finalists, and in a dominant display, the Men in Blue crushed the hosts by eight wickets to secure victory in the final.
2018 Asia Cup – India
The Asia Cup returned to the United Arab Emirates in 2018 after a long 23-year hiatus, with the tournament switching to the 50-over format once again.
India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Hong Kong participated in this edition, with the six teams divided into two groups.
Following the league stage and the Super 4s, India and Bangladesh emerged as the finalists. In a thrilling final, the Men in Blue secured the title by winning the game by three wickets.
2022 Asia Cup – Sri Lanka
In the 2022 edition of the Asia Cup, the tournament embraced the 20-over format to allow teams to prepare for the T20 World Cup 2022 taking place later in the year in Australia.
The tournament took place in UAE, featuring India, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan.
Following the league stage and the Super 4s, Sri Lanka emerged victorious in the final by defeating Pakistan.
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Venue |
| 1984 | India | Sri Lanka | UAE |
| Â 1986 | Sri Lanka | Pakistan | Sri Lanka |
| 1988 | India | Sri Lanka | Bangladesh |
| 1990 | India | Sri Lanka | India |
| 1995 | India | Sri Lanka | UAE |
| 1997 | Sri Lanka | India | Sri Lanka |
| 2000 | Pakistan | Sri Lanka | Bangladesh |
| 2004 | Sri Lanka | India | Sri Lanka |
| 2008 | Sri Lanka | India | Pakistan |
| 2010 | India | Sri Lanka | Sri Lanka |
| 2012 | Pakistan | Bangladesh | Bangladesh |
| 2014 | Sri Lanka | Pakistan | Bangladesh |
| 2016 (T20 Format) | India | Bangladesh | Bangladesh |
| 2018 | India | Bangladesh | UAE |
| 2022 (T20 Format) | Sri Lanka | Pakistan | Sri Lanka |
