The craze of cricket in India has always been more than that of any other country. So it’s only natural that the Indian fans are the most excited about the Asia Cup for their team has won the title 7 times in the 16 editions of the tournament including 2023! It couldn’t be emphasized any further that beating the neighbors in a game that they all worship & participate in together- is one of the most looked forward events for these people.
India’s Most Significant Victories in Asia Cup
India became the 1st Champion in the History of Asia Cup
India won both the matches required to win the first Asia Cup held in 1984 in Sharjah, UAE- under the Round-Robin policy where each team faced the others only once. The first win is always the most significant, it sets the base for the future and gives motivation to keep going. Surinder Khanna picked up the title of ‘Player of the Series’ scoring 107 runs– the highest in that tournament.
India Beat Sri Lanka to Championship for the 2nd Time
In the 4th installment of the Asia Cup in 1990/91, India kept its record intact. The Sri Lankan cricket team pretty much didn’t stand a chance against India in the final match held in Kolkata. They scored 204 runs from 45 overs at the expense of 9 wickets.
India replied to that in 42.1 overs with 7 wickets remaining to be spared! Credit for that goes equally to the ballers and batsmen. Kapil Dev took care of 4 wickets of the opposition squad whereas Sanjay Manjrekar, Sachin Tendulkar, and Mohammad Azharuddin scored 75, 53, and 54 runs respectively to get to the targeted total in an easy, breezy way.
3rd Consecutive Asia Cup Victory for India
The tournament of 1995 marked India’s victory for the 3rd time in a row and again it came against Sri Lanka. The Indian cricketers were in superb form and confidence and it was seen all over the tournament. Navjot Sidhu picked up the title for ‘Player of the Series’ with a total of 197 runs- although, he was the 2nd highest run scorer of the series, but he played most consistently for the team in almost every match.
India Roared Again after 15 Years
India’s victory in the final of the Asia Cup 2010 came after the break of 15 years and 4 installments of the tournament were played in between. It may not be possible to point a finger at any specific reason behind this delay, but the victory in the final match of the installment of 2010 was to be credited to the ballers, although India batted first.
The Asia Cup was held in T20I format for the first time in 2016 and the final match was shortened even further, by the rain, down to only 15 overs. In this tournament, India beat Bangladesh by 8 wickets in the final match to win their 6th Asia Cup trophy. They remained unbeaten throughout the tournament.
India’s last and 7th championship in the Asia Cup (ODI) i.e. in 2018, against Bangladesh, can easily be credited to the ballers for they packed all the Bangladeshi batsmen within 222 runs only. But the most interesting fact about this tournament is that it had one ‘tied’ match- the only one in the history of the tournament till date- it was between India and Afghanistan.
Key Performances in India’s Asia Cup Championship Journey
Kapil Dev Took a Hat-Trick as the 2nd Indian Baller
Kapil Dev was the highest wicket-taker of the Asia Cup 1990/91 with 9 wickets under his cap. But the final match of that tournament set another record for the former Indian captain- he became the 2nd Indian baller to take a hat-trick! India won the toss in that match and chose to field first. Kapil Dev set his strategies clear enough to keep the opponent’s batsmen in check with only 204 runs on the scoreboard.
Sachin Tendulkar’s Century Took India to the Final of 1995
In that year, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka all had four points each before the final match was held. But a better run rate took India and Sri Lanka to the final match. It was the 5th match of the tournament that decided this fate. In that match, Sri Lanka chose to bat first and the Indian ballers kept the score in check with only 202 runs to chase in 50 overs.
This can easily be credited to Venkatesh Prasad for picking up 3 important wickets for Roshan Mahanama, Aravinda de Silva, and Romesh Kaluwitharana. But India’s entry into the final was secured when Sachin Tendulkar scored 112 runs and stayed ‘not out’ at the end of the match. India managed to chase the target in only 33.2 overs with 8 wickets to be spared.
Ballers to be Credited for the Revival of Championship
India won the title back after 15 years in 2010, thanks to ballers like Ashish Nehra, Zaheer Khan, and Ravindra Jadeja for picking up 4, 2, and 2 wickets respectively. Among the 4 wickets picked up by Ashish Nehra were legendary batsmen Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene.
Kuldeep Yadav was the hero of the final match of Asia Cup 2018 for India for taking 3 massive wickets of Liton Das, Mahmudullah Riyad, and Mashrafe Mortaza. And that too at the cost of only 45 runs in 10 overs. He shared his 10 wickets haul- the highest in that series- with Rashid Khan and Mustafizur Rahman.
India’s Key Strategies in Asia Cup to Date
It seemed that most of the times when India won the Asia Cup trophy- except for in 1984 and 2010- they applied the strategy of fielding first, keeping the opponent’s scores in check and chasing the target comparatively early while keeping the maximum number of wickets intact. Well, this strategy can only work out if the ballers take the lead. Even in those two times, the ballers played a key role in the victory.
It is supposed to be the ideal strategy to maintain a continuous winning streak at such competitive tournaments- the ballers will do their job with the utmost integrity and let the batsmen do their job in peace. But it is a bit surprising to observe as India is much less known for its balling squad compared to its batting squad. Will this be the strategy in the coming ICC World Cup 2023? Time will tell.
