The Asia Cup is a white-ball competition that is played between the top Asian teams. It started back in 1983, when the Asian Cricket Council was founded. The first edition of the tournament took place in 1984 in the UAE. So far, a total of 15 editions have taken place, with Sri Lanka being the defending champions.
India won the first edition and is one of the most successful teams in Asia Cup history. They have won a total of seven editions, followed by Sri Lanka, which have won six so far. Pakistan have won two editions in total. In this article, we will discuss the list of Asia Cup successful teams.
List of Asia Cup Successful Teams in History
3. Pakistan (2000 and 2012)
Pakistan have been part of the Asia Cup since the very first edition in 1984. The Men in Green didn’t take part in the 1990–91 edition, which took place in India. Overall, they have played 14 out of 15 editions. They have won the tournament twice. Their first win came in 2000, when they beat Sri Lanka in the final.
Their second win came in 2012, when they won the final against Bangladesh. Both editions were played in a 50-over format. Apart from winning the tournament, Pakistan also ended as runners-up in the 1986, 2014, and 2022 (T20I) seasons, losing to Sri Lanka on all three occasions.
The Men in Green have always been a strong side in white-ball cricket. That is why they are among the most successful teams in Asia Cup history. They have also hosted the competition once, in 2008, and will host the 2023 edition as co-hosts.
2. Sri Lanka (1986, 1997, 2004, 2008, 2014, 2022)
Sri Lanka are probably one of the two most successful teams in Asia Cup. Though they have won one edition less than India, Sri Lanka have played in most finals of the Asia Cup. That speaks volumes about their performances and why they are Asia Cup successful teams. Sri Lanka won their first edition in 1986 at home.
Then they ended up as runners-up in the next three editions before winning the fourth one in 1997. They also won two back-to-back seasons in 2004 and 2008, respectively. Their fifth win came in 2014, beating Pakistan in the final.
But their performance declined after the retirement of some big names. They finished 2016 in fourth place, while they couldn’t cross the group stage in 2018. But then they bounced back incredible well in the last edition in 2022. They beat Pakistan to clinch the championship and win their sixth title.
1. India (1984, 1988, 1990–91, 1995, 2010, 2016, 2018)
Team India are one of the Most successful teams in the Asia Cup. In fact, they are probably the best team in this competition. It started in the inaugural season, when they beat Sri Lanka in the final to become the inaugural season champions. They didn’t take part in the second edition in 1986.
Then, they came back for the third edition in 1988 and won it. Not just that, India also won three consecutive seasons in 1988, 1990–91, and 1995, respectively. India won four of the first five seasons in the tournament’s history. But after that, they couldn’t taste the success of the next four editions.
Their next win came in 2010, beating Sri Lanka in the final. The Indian team then won back-to-back editions in 2016 (T20) and 2018 (ODI), respectively. They are the first team to win the Asia Cup in both ODI and T20I formats. Without a doubt, they are at the top when it comes to Asia Cup successful teams.
Who has won the Asia Cup most times?
India has won it seven times (1984, 1988, 1990–91, 1995, 2010, 2016, 2018).