Ranking 5 best Asia Cups in history

Published - 04 Sept 2025, 15:53 IST | Updated - 04 Sept 2025, 16:02 IST

Over the years, the Asia Cup has produced many memorable campaigns and iconic moments. Each edition has shown the amount of talent across the Asian continent, making it one of the most looked-forward-to events in the cricketing calendar, usually held once in every two years, with the first edition played in 1984.

The upcoming Asia Cup 2025, set to begin on September 9 in the United Arab Emirates. For the first time in history, the competition will feature eight teams in the T20 format, serving as perfect preparation ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup. The line-up includes India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Oman, and the host UAE.

The 2018 Asia Cup, hosted in the UAE from September 15 to 28, was a tournament that saw India come out as champions for the seventh time. With Virat Kohli rested, Rohit Sharma wore the captaincy hat, guiding the team through a tough campaign. India began with a 26-run win over Hong Kong before convincingly defeating arch-rivals Pakistan twice, by eight and nine wickets, respectively. In the Super Four stage, they also defeated Bangladesh comfortably and played out a memorable tie against Afghanistan.

The final against Bangladesh at the Dubai International Stadium went down to the wire. Litton Das’ brilliant 121 took Bangladesh to 222, but India’s bowlers, including Kuldeep Yadav (3/45), triggered a collapse. Chasing 223, the Men in Blue's innings had its share of struggles. Rohit anchored with a 48, while contributions from MS Dhoni and Dinesh Karthik kept the team in the hunt. A hamstring-injured Kedar Jadhav returned late in the chase to partner Kuldeep, eventually sealing a narrow three-wicket win off the very last ball. Notably, this was Rohit's first title as an Indian skipper.