Asia Cup
About the Asia Cup
The Asia Cup is the premier continental cricket championship of Asia, organised by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), which was formed in 1983 with the tournament first held a year later in Sharjah, UAE. The inaugural edition was a three-team round-robin between India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, with India winning both its matches to claim the first title.
The tournament grew steadily over the decades, expanding from three teams to include Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and associate nations like Hong Kong, UAE and Nepal. It was originally played exclusively in the 50-over ODI format for its first 12 editions, but since 2016 the ACC has alternated the format between ODI and T20I, usually aligning with the format of the upcoming ICC World Cup that year.
India is the most successful team in Asia Cup history with nine titles, followed by Sri Lanka with six and Pakistan with two. The India-Pakistan rivalry has often defined the tournament's biggest moments and has also occasionally disrupted it — India boycotted the 1986 edition, Pakistan withdrew in 1990-91, and the 2023 edition was played under a hybrid model across Pakistan and Sri Lanka after India declined to travel to Pakistan.
More than four decades on, the Asia Cup remains cricket's only major continental tournament, serving as both a fierce rivalry showcase and a proving ground for Asia's emerging cricketing nations.
Asia Cup
About the Asia Cup
The Asia Cup is the premier continental cricket championship of Asia, organised by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), which was formed in 1983 with the tournament first held a year later in Sharjah, UAE. The inaugural edition was a three-team round-robin between India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, with India winning both its matches to claim the first title.
The tournament grew steadily over the decades, expanding from three teams to include Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and associate nations like Hong Kong, UAE and Nepal. It was originally played exclusively in the 50-over ODI format for its first 12 editions, but since 2016 the ACC has alternated the format between ODI and T20I, usually aligning with the format of the upcoming ICC World Cup that year.
India is the most successful team in Asia Cup history with nine titles, followed by Sri Lanka with six and Pakistan with two. The India-Pakistan rivalry has often defined the tournament's biggest moments and has also occasionally disrupted it — India boycotted the 1986 edition, Pakistan withdrew in 1990-91, and the 2023 edition was played under a hybrid model across Pakistan and Sri Lanka after India declined to travel to Pakistan.
More than four decades on, the Asia Cup remains cricket's only major continental tournament, serving as both a fierce rivalry showcase and a proving ground for Asia's emerging cricketing nations.