Asia Cup 2018: WATCH - 5 best hundreds in the tournament

These are the five best knocks in the Asia Cup tournament.

The 14^th edition of Asia Cup tournament is slated to begin on September 15 and it will feature six teams in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and qualifier Hong Kong.

Hong Kong won the 2018 Asia Cup qualifiers and was granted the rights to play in the tournament. ACC then requested ICC to grant the matches involving Hong Kong official ODI status as Hong Kong doesn’t have that status as a team. ICC gave the nod and all the matches in the tournament were given official ODI status.

Hong Kong is put in the group which includes India and Pakistan and will play their first game against India on September 18.

India is the defending champions of the tournament having won the tournament in 2016.  Since the tournament is played in Asia, batsmen have ruled the roost when it comes to records and 47 centuries have been hit in the tournament since 1984.

The first centuries in the tournament came in the same game in the Wills Asia Cup 1988 between Pakistan and Bangladesh in Chittagong. Moin-ul-Atiq (105) and Ijaz Ahmed (124 in 87 balls) scored centuries in the same game against Bangladesh.

In the same vein, let’s have a look at 5 of the best hundreds in Asia Cup tournament

SANATH JAYASURIYA (SL) - 130 vs. India, Colombo, 2004

Sri Lanka’s explosive opener Sanath Jayasuriya is credited with changing the way ODI batting was done in the mid-1990s. His penchant for hitting over the top during the first 15 overs led Sri Lanka to their first and only ODI World Cup triumph in 1996.

Jayasuriya was also the bane of the Indian team in the 1990s and 2000s, given his liking to the Indian bowling attack, which he plundered to all parts of the ground in this match of the 2004 Asia Cup held in Sri Lanka.

India batted first and scored 271/6 thanks to 81 from Virender Sehwag, 79 from captain Sourav Ganguly and a quickfire 50 from Yuvraj Singh. Sri Lanka needed a good start to overhaul that target on a typical turning Colombo track and that’s what they didn’t get as three of their top 4 batsmen got out for single digit scores including Captain Marvan Atapattu.

Sanath Jayasuriya, on the other hand, held the innings together, looking for support which he got in the end with Tillakaratne Dilshan who made 39. But by that time, it was too late. However, Jayasuriya single-handedly took Sri Lanka within touching distance of the total, as he cut, pulled and square drove the Indian bowlers to all parts of the ground.

Jayasuriya fell for 130 off 132 balls with 14 fours and 1 six and Sri Lanka fell short of the target by four runs.   

Here is the video of the innings:

YOUNIS KHAN (PAK) - 123* vs. India, Karachi, 2008
Younis Khan might not have the flamboyance of a Shahid Afridi or the poise of an Inzamam, but he was effective in his own way. The best example of this came in his century against India in the 2008 Asia Cup match at Karachi.

India had batted first and scored 308 runs with MS Dhoni making 79 and Rohit Sharma making 58 with Sehwag (49) and Irfan Pathan (38*) giving major support. The total was a daunting one on a slow yet good pitch at Karachi.

Pakistani openers Nasir Jamshed and Salman Butt gave a good start, but then Younis Khan took over and shepherded Pakistan towards the target with a masterful century- a 123* in 117 balls with 11 fours and 1 six. He was supported by captain Misbah, who remained not out on 70 and Pakistan won the match by 8 wickets in the 46^th over.

Here is the video of the innings:

SHOAIB MALIK (PAK) – 143 vs. India, Colombo, 2004
The India-Pakistan clashes are always high voltage clashes and this one in the 2004 Asia Cup in Colombo is remembered for a master class in batting by Shoaib Malik.

Pakistan batted first and Malik, who batted at no.3, came out in the second over itself when Imran Nazir was dismissed by Pathan. Other batsmen kept coming, playing cameos and going, Malik kept going at one end and scored a magnificent 143 in 127 balls with 18 fours and 1 six. His century took Pakistan to 300/9 in 50 overs.

The total proved to be too big for India to chase down as it lost wickets regularly, despite 78 from Sachin Tendulkar. Pakistan won the match by 59 runs and Malik was given the Man of the match award.

Here is the video of the innings:

SHAHID AFRIDI (PAK) – 124 vs. Bangladesh, Dambulla, 2010
Pakistan and Bangladesh have a heated rivalry of their own in ODIs. In the 2010 Asia Cup, Pakistan gave Bangladesh one of their biggest defeats in the tournament, as they went on a run fest.

Batting first Pakistan just went after the Bangladeshi bowlers with both openers making fifties and adding 81 runs for the first wicket. Though they lost some wickets in the middle and at one time looked like making a total close to 260-270, in came Captain Shahid Afridi and the mayhem began.

Afridi blazed to a century off 53 balls and ended up making 124 runs in just 60 balls with 17 fours and 4 sixes. Pakistan posted 385/7 in their 50 overs.

Bangladesh was never in the chase despite 97 from Junaid Siddique and managed 246/5 in 50 overs. Pakistan won the match by 139 runs. Afridi's hundred remains the fastest century in Asia Cup history.

Here is the video of the innings:

VIRAT KOHLI (IND) – 183 vs. Pakistan, Dhaka, 2012
 Virat Kohli had just started to make his name as an all-around batsman in world cricket. In ODIs, he was already a force to reckon with and has made his Test debut a year earlier.

This encounter between India and Pakistan is not only remembered for India chasing down 330 with ridiculous ease, but also for a masterful century by Kohli, who had a big partnership with the master himself, Sachin Tendulkar.

Pakistan batted first and put up a huge 329/6 thanks to centuries by both openers Mohd Hafeez (105) and Nasir Jamshed (112), who also put up an Asia Cup record partnership of 224 runs for the first wicket.

India required a quick start to chase down such a target, but lost Gautam Gambhir on the second ball of the first over. Sachin Tendulkar (52) added 133 runs with Virat Kohli before Saeed Ajmal got Tendulkar out. Kohli then got support from Rohit Sharma (68) and the duo pummeled the Pakistani bowlers to all parts of the Dhaka ground.

Virat Kohli scored a dashing and dominating 183 in 148 balls with 22 fours and 1 six, which remains his highest ODI score, as India won the match with 6 wickets in hand and 13 balls in hand.

Here is the video of the innings: