The only continental championship of men’s cricket is the Asia Cup. It is played between the members of the Asian Cricket Council. This tournament is played to determine the strongest List A cricket team of Asia.
After the establishment of the Asian Cricket Council in 1983, the first edition of the men’s Asia Cup was held in 1984. The tournament is scheduled for every two years. The number of teams participating in the tournament has varied owing to political turmoils. This has frequently resulted in change of venues, eventually affecting the participation of teams.
Each edition of the tournament held between 1984 to 2014 was played in the One Day International format. However, when the Asian Cricket Council was downsized in 2015, the governors decided to contest the tournament in the One Day International and T20 International formats alternatively.
The format in which a tournament is held has never been consistent. In the earlier years, a round-robin format was followed. This was changed to a phase-wise progression of the event, wherein teams were divided into groups, featuring two league stages followed by knockout rounds. The volatility in the tournament’s format is largely due to the inconsistencies in the number of teams participating in the event.
The next edition of the tournament slated to be held in September 2025 will see the participation of eight teams. Five of these teams are guaranteed a direct participation for being full member nations of the Asian Cricket Council. The three other teams are chosen based on their performance in the Asian Cricket Council’s Premier Cup.
Sri Lanka has participated in the event a record 16 times. India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh have participated 15 times each. Afghanistan has become a regular participant since 2018. Moreover, infrequent attendants include Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates, and Nepal.
India is the most successful tournament in the men’s Asia Cup, winning a record eight titles. In the editions held in the One Day International format, Sanath Jayasuriya’s tally of 1220 runs is the most by any batter in the history of the Asia Cup. The leading wicket-taker is his compatriot Lasith Malinga with 33 wickets.
In the T20 formats Virat Kohli has the highest tally of 429 runs. Fellow Indian Bhubaneshwar Kumar leads the wicket count with 13 scalps to his name. India and Sri Lanka have won the T20 edition of the tournament once each.
