When did Asia Cup cricket tournament start?

Recently, India beat Bangladesh by three wickets in the final of Asia Cup and clinched the Asia Cup title once again. However, do you know when this tournament first occurred? Let's dig out the history.

Actually, when the Asia Cricket Council was formed in 1983, the council came up with this idea, which was conceptualized in 1984 and the first Asia Cup occurred in Sharjah where Asia Cricket Council has its headquarter and remained there till 1995.

Initially, Asia Cup was only an ODI tournament and used to happen in every two years, but now it takes place in both ODI and T20 formats every year but with a different format each year. For instance, this year it was an ODI series but next year the teams will fight each other in the T20 battle.

In the year 2015, ICC decided to change the format of the series from 2016 and it took place right before the T20 World Cup.

Three teams; India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka did battle with each other for the trophy in the first Asia Cup organized in 1984 whereas the six teams other than these: Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong fought for the title.

Interestingly, a qualifier was arranged to pick a team among Hong Kong, Malaysia, Nepal, Oman, Singapore and UAE in which Hong Kong won and became the sixth team to play Asia Cup.

Asia Cup Fact File

• India has been the most successful team in the ODI format in the Asia Cup.

• India has won the title maximum 7 times.

• Sri Lanka has won 5 times.

• The first T20 Asia Cup was won by India in 2016.

• Pakistan has won the title twice.

• India didn’t play Asia Cup in 1986 due to the strained relationships with Sri Lanka.

• Then Bangladesh became the third team joins Asia Cup for the first time.

• Pakistan did not take part in the 1990 Asia Cup because its host was India.

• The 1993 Asia Cup was called off because the relationship between India and Pakistan was in bleak phase.

• Asia Cup in 1988 was held in Bangladesh where India beat Sri Lank in the final.

• Unfortunately, India could not make it to the finals in the championship took place in 2000.

• Pakistan won the title by beating Sri Lanka that year.