The Asia Cup 2025 is all set to begin on September 9 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, where Afghanistan will face Hong Kong in the opening clash. This year’s edition will be played in the T20 format, giving Asian teams a perfect chance to prepare for the T20 World Cup 2026, which will take place in India and Sri Lanka.
The tournament will feature eight teams, divided into two groups of four.
- Group A: India, Pakistan, UAE (hosts), Oman
- Group B: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong
Each team will play the other three in its group once. The top two sides from both groups will then qualify for the Super Four round, and from there, the top two will battle in the final in Dubai on September 28.
Ahead of this much-awaited tournament, let’s take a look at five memorable T20 records from Asia Cup history.
1. Two Centuries in T20 Asia Cup History
So far, only two batters have scored centuries in the men’s T20 Asia Cup.
- Virat Kohli (India): 122* off 61 balls vs Afghanistan in Dubai, 2022. His innings included 12 fours and 6 sixes, helping India post 212/2 before bowling Afghanistan out for 111.
- Babar Hayat (Hong Kong): 122 off 60 balls vs Oman in Fatullah, 2016. Despite his explosive knock with 9 fours and 7 sixes, Hong Kong lost that game by 5 runs.
Both knocks remain iconic, as scoring a hundred in T20 cricket is rare and special.
2. Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s Unique Five-Wicket Haul
Among all bowlers in Asia Cup T20 history, Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the only one with a five-wicket haul. He took 5/4 against Afghanistan in Dubai, 2022, in the same game where Kohli made his century.
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Apart from that, he also picked 4/26 against Pakistan earlier in the same edition, making it one of his best tournaments. Other bowlers who have taken four-fers in the competition include Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Lasith Malinga, Pramod Madushan, and Aamir Kaleem.
3. Four Batters With Over 200 Runs
Only four players have crossed the 200-run mark in men’s T20 Asia Cup history:
- Virat Kohli: 429 runs in 9 innings (average 85.80, SR 132)
- Mohammad Rizwan: 281 runs
- Rohit Sharma: 271 runs
- Babar Hayat: 235 runs
Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran also came close with 196 runs in just 5 innings, making him one to watch in Asia Cup 2025.
4. Six Bowlers With Double-Digit Wickets
So far, six bowlers have taken 10 or more wickets in the men’s T20 Asia Cup.
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar (India): 13 wickets in 6 games, economy 5.34
- Amjad Javed (UAE): 12 wickets in 7 games
- Al-Amin Hossain (Bangladesh): 11 wickets
- Mohammad Naveed (UAE): 11 wickets
- Hardik Pandya (India): 11 wickets
- Rashid Khan (Afghanistan): 11 wickets
This list shows how associate players like UAE’s stars have also left their mark alongside top international cricketers.
5. Four Partnerships Over 100 Runs
Big partnerships have been crucial in this tournament’s history. So far, there have been four 100+ stands:
- Virat Kohli & KL Rahul (India): 119 runs vs Afghanistan, 2022
- Fakhar Zaman & Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan): 116 runs vs Hong Kong, 2022
- Shoaib Malik & Umar Akmal (Pakistan): 114* vs UAE, 2016
- Dinesh Chandimal & Tillakaratne Dilshan (Sri Lanka): 110 runs vs Pakistan, 2016
These partnerships not only set up big wins but also gave fans some unforgettable batting displays.
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