The Asian nations which include Sri Lanka, Pakistan,
India, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh regarded as terrific cricket loving nations.
And Asia Cup belongs to these nations. The cricket fans might have started to
make their daily fantasy cricket
teams with the commencement of Asia Cup from this September 15th, 2018.
Make your best teams and play fantasy cricket online
to win prizes and while you are engrossed with the fantasy sports, we
will tell you about some interesting historical facts about the tournament.
First 7 interesting facts are following below:
Only three nations – India, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan –
took part in the 1st Asia Cup held at Sharjah, UAE in 1984. The event began as
a round robin tournament, and the playing nation with most victories declared
as the winner. Indian team won the cup and Sri Lankan team was the runner-up.
Sri Lanka hosted the 2nd Asia Cup and as India had
poor cricketing relations with the host nation, India pulled out of the
tournament. Bangladesh, included in the tournament. Sri Lankan team lifted the
final trophy of the Cup for that year.
The 3rd Asia Cup was held in Bangladesh during 1988 –
the first time a multi-nation tournament was held in the nation. India lifted
their second trophy by defeating Sri Lanka in the final.
India’s only 5-wicket haul in the Asia Cup took place
in 1998 against Pakistan in a must-win game in Dhaka. It was the right-arm
off-break bowler, Arshad Ayub, who attained the milestone. He registered
figures of 21/5 to give India the victory. It was lone the first 5-wicket haul
in the Asia Cup.
During the 1990 Asia Cup, the 4th tournament, Pakistan
pulled out of the tournament. India was the hosting nation and Pakistan and
India has strained political relations. India again won the trophy by defeating
Sri Lanka in the finals.
During 1993, the strained relations between India and
Pakistan led to the annulment of the tournament totally.
In 1995, the 5th edition of the Asia Cup was held in
Sharjah. India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, all ended with the same points in the
qualifying stage. Sri Lanka and India reached the final on a better net run
rate. India won the cup again.
The next few historical facts:
In 1997, the 6th edition of the Asia Cup was held in
Sri Lanka and the nation won the trophy after defeating India in the final.
In 2000, the 7th edition of the Asia Cup, India failed
to reach the finals for the first time. The tournament held in Bangladesh and
saw Pakistan beat Sri Lanka to win the trophy.
In 2004, there was a change in format, with Hong Kong
and UAE, entering the tournament. For the first time, the competition was
dividing into three stages – the Group Stage, Super Fours and Final. Sri Lanka
defeated India and won the trophy.
In 2008, the 8th edition of the Asia Cup, India
traveled to Pakistan for the Asia Cup and reached the final. But Sri Lanka defeated
India in the final with the help of Ajantha Mendis, who recorded the bowling
figures of 6/13. It is also the best bowling figures in the history of the Asia
Cup.
India again won the 2010 Asia Cup, their first in 15
years, after defeating Sri Lanka. In this 9th edition of Asia Cup only four
Test playing nations – India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh participated.
Virender Sehwag holds the record for registering the
best bowling strike rate in the history of Asia Cup. He achieved the record in
a 2010 match against Bangladesh, in which he registered figures of 6/4 in 2.5
overs.
In 2012, the 10th edition of the tournament Pakistan
won their second Asia Cup, after a thrilling final defeating Bangladesh by 2
runs.
Another few historical facts:
The highest ODI score by Virat Kohli of 183 came
against Pakistan in the 2012 Asia Cup. India chased down the target of 330 set
by Pakistan, in a match that saw tense moments between the players in the final
few minutes of the match. It is also the highest ODI total in the history of
Asia Cup.
In 2014, the 11th Asia Cup, Afghanistan entered the
tournament for the first time. The tournament, which held in Dhaka, saw Sri
Lanka defeating Pakistan in the final.
ICC downsized Asian Cricket Council in 2015 and decided
that the Asia Cup tournaments will play on the rotation basis in ODI and T20I
format.
In 2016, the 12th Asia Cup, the tournament was held in
the T20 format for the first time. India defeated Bangladesh in Dhaka and won
the trophy.
Sanath Jayasuriya is the leading run scorer in the
history of Asia Cup with 1,220 ODI runs
Muttiah Muralitharan is the leading wicket-taker in
the history of Asia Cup with 30 wickets
India has won the Asia Cup maximum with 6 times in
record, followed by Sri Lanka winning for 5 times and Pakistan winning for 2
times.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni has the best average of 95.16 in
the Asia Cup.
None of the Indian batsmen have ever been dismissed
for a duck in the tournament in the ODI format. This record, however, was
broken in the T20 format. Sri Lanka holds the record of 17 ducks, followed by
Bangladesh with 11 ducks and Pakistan with 9 ducks in the ODI format.
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