5 most thrilling Asia Cup matches of all time

The Asia Cup 2025 is just around the corner, with the action set to begin on September 9 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The tournament opener will see Afghanistan take on Hong Kong, as the competition will be held in the 20-over format for the fourth time, keeping in mind the upcoming T20 World Cup in 2026, which India and Sri Lanka will be co-hosting.

Over the years, the marquee tournament has produced countless nail-biting encounters that have kept fans on the edge of their seats. As the excitement builds, CricTracker takes a trip down the memory lane to list down five of the most thrilling matches in the history of the Asia Cup in recent times.

5 most thrilling Asia Cup matches of all time

Bangladesh vs India, Asia Cup 2018 final

The 2018 final was a true classic. Batting first, Bangladesh posted 222, with the help of a magnificent 121 from Litton Das, while Kuldeep Yadav starred for India with figures of 3/45. In reply, India’s chase was a team effort, with Rohit Sharma’s 48 being the top score. Notably, this was Rohit’s first tournament as a captain in a multinational tournament.

The target looked achievable, but a middle-order collapse followed by sluggish knocks from Dinesh Karthik and MS Dhoni took the match down to the wire. With six needed off the final over, Kedar Jadhav and Kuldeep held their nerve, taking India to a dramatic three-wicket win off the very last ball. It was India’s seventh Asia Cup title, while the first for Rohit as India captain.