Pakistan team wins and records in Asia Cups

• India and Pakistan have played numerous memorable matches.
• Over the years, 14 of which were played at the Asia Cup.
• Pakistan scored the highest ever runs in Asia cup history.

Pakistan and India, whenever these two teams collided, fans and audience tie their knot as they eagerly say that.

This match is not just any ordinary match but this will determine the pride of our nation.

Now let’s talk about Asia Cup 2022.

Who will be the next king of Asia? The fight for this is scheduled to take place on the grounds of the United Arab Emirates from Saturday, August 27. Where Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Hong Kong will compete. Like 2016, this time also Asia Cup will be in T20 format. The reason is the old one that the T20 World Cup is coming and all the teams want to play in the same format.

AIS Cup 2022 Group Stage Schedule

Pakistan was the best team in the world in the 80’s and 90’s but surprisingly never became the Asian champion from 1984 till the end of the century. Pakistan won the Asia Cup for the first time in 2000 and since then they have won the title only once in 22 years. That is, Pakistan has participated in the Asia Cup 13 times so far and has become the champion only twice. Once in 2000 under the leadership of Moin Khan and 10 years ago in 2012 under the captaincy of Misbah-ul-Haq.

If you look at the overall performance, it is not so impressive. In the 49 matches played in the Asia Cup since 1984, Pakistan has won 28 and lost 20.

Pakistan’s Performance in Asia Cup (1984-2018)

Pakistan played extra-ordinary in Asia Cup matches from 1984 till 2018. During this tenure the Green team played 49 matches and out of these matches they managed to win 28 matches with 20 losses and 1 match ended with no result.

The highest score by Pakistan in Asia cup was 385/7 against Bangladesh in Asia Cup 2010 which is still a record for highest inning score in overall Asia Cup.

The match was played in Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Dambulla. Pakistan managed to score these runs with the help of brilliance that Shahid Afridi who was at that time captain of the team, led from the front and scored a remarkable century.

Shahid Afridi scored 124 runs from just 60 balls with 17 4’s and 4 6’s. Imran Farhat, Shahzaib Hasan and Kamran Akmal also scored fifty’s and help Pakistan reached such a huge target.

On the other hand, the hosts Bangladesh only scored 246/5 in their 50 overs, in which the batsmen Junaid Siddiqui scored the highest 97 runs.

Shahid Afridi was awarded man of the match in this game, but this win for Pakistan was not enough to let them stay in the tournament as they were out of the Asia cup as they were firstly defeated by India and Sri Lanka consecutively.

Pakistan vs. Bangladesh in Asia Cup 2012 final:

It was 22nd March 20212, before this date Pakistan became the Asian champion only once. But on that day, Pakistan got a chance to win this honor once again. But batting first, they put up a disappointing display and set hosts Bangladesh a target of just 237 runs to win the Asia Cup for the first time.

Bangladesh was all in eyes for their first ever trophy win. Heading towards the target, even reaching 170 runs for the loss of just three wickets. Success was standing in front smiling when an unknown and unexpected player from Pakistan stood in their way. It was the fast bowler Aizaz Cheema who had some objections to his inclusion and was considered to be the ‘weakest link’ of the squad. But that day honor proved itself. Not only did he get the valuable wickets of Shakib-ul-Hasan and Mushfiqur-Rahim at this critical stage, but he also bowled that incredible over at the end, which is still fresh in the minds. Aizaz Cheema defended 9 runs in the last over and made Pakistan the Asian champions for the second and last time with just 2 runs.

Pakistan vs. Bangladesh in Asia Cup 2014:

Interestingly, exactly two years later, in the same month of March, Pakistan and Bangladesh faced each other in the same Asia Cup at the same Sher Bangla National Stadium. Although it was not the final, but his memories are more than the final. Chasing 327 runs, Pakistan had lost half their team for 225 runs despite getting off to a 97-run start.

102 runs were required off the last 52 balls. Success was not in sight when Shahid Afridi played a miraculous innings. His 18-ball half-century brought Pakistan very close to victory. Even in the end, sixes from Fawad Alam and Abdul Razzaq took Pakistan to the target in the last over. Ahmed Shahzad’s century, Fawad Alam’s 74 not out and Shahid Afridi’s 59 off 25 balls rubbed salt in the wounds of Bangladeshi spectators.

Pakistan vs. India in Asia Cup 2014:

The 2014 tournament was undoubtedly the most memorable Asia Cup in history, especially for Pakistani fans. Shahid Afridi appeared as a match-winning player in this tournament. Just two days before the crushing defeat to Bangladesh, Shahid Afridi had put in a performance that will be remembered for years, decades, centuries, and as long as cricket lives.

 In a match against India, the pressure is also very high, a gram feels like a min. Here, Pakistan needed 43 runs in the last five overs to chase 246 runs. Then the sixes of Shahid Afridi and Umar Gul almost took the match away but in one over not only Umar Gul but also the incoming batsman Muhammad Talha was out and when the first ball of the last over took the wicket of Saeed Ajmal, Pakistan had already lost 9 wickets. Pakistan needed 10 runs and it looked like Shahid Afridi would be left standing from the other end. But Junaid Khan took that precious run on the second ball, which made possible those moments, which still bring tears to our eyes even today. Then Shahid Afridi took the next two balls bowled by Ravichandar Ashwin through the air of Dhaka and resounded with two sixes Shahid Afridi you beauty! What a Win! Thanks to Lala, Pakistan won two sensational matches with a difference of few days.

 Pakistan vs. India in Asia Cup 2010:

But every time fate did not favor Pakistan. When the same Pakistan and India came face to face in Dambulla in 2010, the result was something else. This time India had lost six wickets for 219 runs chasing 268 runs. 49 runs were needed in the last five overs and Suresh Raina was playing the role that Lala played four years later. With 16 runs needed in the last two overs, Shoaib Akhtar hit Raina for a six and unleashed his wrath on the relatively weak batsman Harbhajan Singh. For the 7 runs required in the last over, when Harbhajan hit a six off the fifth ball, he was looking for Shoaib Akhtar for a long time, who was finding nowhere to hide his face.

 Pakistan vs. India Asia T20 cup 2018:

This is also a match that Pakistan lost, but is always remembered by Pakistanis, because of Muhammad Amir. In 2016, the Asia Cup was played for the first time in the T20 format as the T20 World Cup was around the corner. Then on February 27, Pakistan and India met in Mirpur, Dhaka and we saw Pakistan’s worst batting. Sarfaraz Ahmed’s 25 runs and Khurram Manzoor’s 10 runs were the only two batsmen who reached double figures, the rest of the batsmen did not even get this honor. Even the team Pakistan piled up for only 83 runs in the eighteenth over. What was the hope after that?

But the best performance in the worst conditions is the specialty of Mohammad Amir. He got Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane lbw in his first over and also dismissed Suresh Raina in the next over. The spectators held the sky above their heads, not a single sound could be heard in the field. Mohammad Amir has rarely been seen bowling like this and with such passion. Such that no batsman could stand in front of them.

Here, Virat Kohli understood the situation and knew that if he wanted to win, he would have to waste Amir’s overs. It was almost impossible for Pakistan to defend 84 runs, as Aamir cannot bowl all the overs. Muhammad Sami undoubtedly bowled well from the other end but even World XI cannot defend such runs. Finally, India reached the target thanks to Virat Kohli’s 49 runs and must have said ‘Jan Bachi, Hund Lakh Pai!’

By the way, let us tell you an amazing thing that the two biggest cricket powers of Asia, Pakistan and India, have never met in the Asia Cup final. Maybe we will see this agreement this time? And if the competition turns out to be such an interesting match, perhaps instructions will have to be issued during the competition itself so that the weak-hearted should not watch the final.

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