All you need to know about Asia Cup 2022 is, The Asia Cup 2022 is just round the corner. It is one of the flagship cricketing events of the year. The Asia Cup this year is expected to be a dress rehearsal for the T20 World Cup later this year. There is a huge amount of buzz preceding the tournament this edition.
All you need to know about Asia Cup 2022, We answer 12 questions about the tournament:
#12 Who established the Asia Cup?
In 1983, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) was founded. The constitutional body came up with the idea of having a tournament between cricket-playing Asian nations. Promoting goodwill between member nations was the driving force behind establishing the Asia Cup. It is the only continental tournament in the game.
#11 When was the first edition of the Asia Cup played?
The first edition of the Asia Cup was played in 1984 in the ODI format. India, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan were the participating nations. The tournament was played in the UAE. India was the inaugural winner of the tournament.
#10 Which edition of the Asia Cup is the upcoming one?
Asia Cup 2022 is the 15th edition of the tournament. The tournament was supposed to be played every two years. But political tensions and the ACC’s dissolution led to sporadic organizing of the event. 15 editions in 38 years is how Asia Cup’s legacy stands currently.
#9 Which country has won the tournament the most number of times?
India leads the race with the most number of tournament wins (7 times). Sri Lanka is second with 5 tournament wins while Pakistan has won just twice. No other Asian nation apart from these three has won the Asia Cup so far.
#8 Who are the hosts for this year’s edition?
The entire tournament is scheduled to be played in the UAE. There are two venues that will host all the games. Dubai and Sharjah will be the host venues for this edition.
#7 The tournament timeline?
One nation from the qualifiers will join the big league in the tournament. The qualifiers already began on August 20. They go on till the 24. The main event kickstarts on August 27 when Sri Lanka takes on Afghanistan. Asia Cup final will be held on September 11.
#6 Who are the participating teams?
India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and one nation from the qualifiers will take part in this edition of the Asia Cup. UAE, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Kuwait are the nations participating in the qualifiers.
#5 Will the tournament be played in the ODI version or T20I version?
In alignment with the T20 World Cup scheduled later this year, this edition of the Asia Cup will be played in the T20 version. The first ever T20 Asia Cup was played in 2016.
#4 What is the tournament format?
The six teams will be divided into two groups each. The top two teams from each group will move onto the Super 4s. Each team will then play the other 3 teams once. The top two teams will qualify for the finals.
#3 How many times are India-Pakistan likely to clash in this edition?
As the arch-rivals are present in the same group, they are bound to meet once surely in the first stage. Both the subcontinental giants are expected to move to the next round. They are likely to clash again in the Super 4s. If they manage to beat the rest of the teams in the second stage, they will then go on to play the finals against each other.
#2 What is the head-to-head record of India against Pakistan in the Asia Cup?
India has had the upper hand over Pakistan when it comes to the Asia Cup. Both the teams have clashed 14 times in the tournament, with India winning on 8 occasions. Pakistan has won 5 times with one game ending without a result.
#1 Why does Asia Cup 2022 hold so much importance?
Apart from the ICC tournaments, there are hardly any multi-nation tournaments that take place nowadays. The Asia Cup 2022 provides a nice platform for teams to test themselves in a multi-team competition. In a World Cup year, there could be no better preparation.
