Quiz: How well do you know about Asia Cup history?

The much-awaited 15th edition of the Asia Cup is all set to commence on Saturday, August 27, 2022, with Sri Lanka and Afghanistan set to lock horns at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai. The following day, August 28, will witness the mother of all encounters as arch-rivals India and Pakistan will be rubbing shoulders against each other in a high-voltage and much-anticipated clash at the same venue.

The final of the tournament will be played on the 11th of September when one of the six teams participating will be crowned the champions of Asia. Notably, the championship will be played in the T20 format, for the second time in history, for teams to fine-tune their preparations ahead of the T20 World Cup, which is set to begin in October this year.

Having won the Qualifier, Hong Kong will join the main draw to contest with India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh. 13 matches will be played in a span of just over two weeks across two venues in Dubai and Sharjah in the competition. Each team will play two matches before the Super-4 and three in the Super-4 round.

Speaking about the history of the tournament, the Asia Cup made its debut way back in the year 1984 when India became the maiden champions. The Asian giants are the most successful side in the competition with seven titles under their belt. Sri Lanka and Pakistan have won the trophies five and two times respectively. The Men in Blue have won the last two titles in 2016 and 2018 and will be eyeing a hat-trick of success in the upcoming event. Not to forget, in 2016 the series was played in T20 format for the first time and team India emerged victorious in it.

India and Bangladesh have featured in the last two finals

India and Bangladesh have contested both the finals of the last two tournaments in 2016 and 2018. Six years back, the match was reduced from 20 overs to 15 overs per side. The Bangla Tigers batted first and managed to score 120/5 thanks to Mahmudullah’s unbeaten blitz innings of 33 off 13. India comfortably reached the target with eight wickets in hand to seal their sixth title then. Two years later, both sides met again in Dubai with Bangladesh yet again failing to win a major trophy. They batted first and posted 222 in 48.3 overs courtesy of a century from Litton Das. India got over the line off the final delivery of the innings to bag their record seventh title.

There have been some solid and consistent performers over the years in Asia’s premier championship. From Sanath Jayasuriya to Virat Kohli, the competition has seen the greatest players performing for their respective sides and fighting it out for Asia’s glory. So, after a gap of four years, the top six sides are all set to light up the event in the UAE and stamp the Asian supremacy.

Meanwhile, let’s test your knowledge in this quiz based on Asia Cup tournaments: (ODI & T20)