Top 5 Scores By Captains In Asia Cup Matches (ODI)

Virat Kohli has been at his supreme best vs PAK (Twitter)

Captains have consistently played a pivotal role in their teams’ quest for glory, often with a bat in hand. Their achievements seem even more remarkable when performed at a scale as grand as an Asia Cup match.

The Asia Cup, especially in its ODI genre, has been uniting powerhouses from the continent ever since it was introduced to the cricketing lore in 1984. Its history, as one can expect, is repleted with captains leading from the front and setting the tone for their team’s successes. Such leadership attributes have not only enhanced their individual records but has also enriched their team’s legacies in this prestigious tournament.

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Here at OneCricket, we take a look at five of the biggest awe-inspiring batting performances from captains across all ODI Asia Cup matches.

1. Babar Azam 151 vs Nepal, Asia Cup 2023

Babar Azam (Twitter)

Pakistan captain Babar Azam was at the hub of his side’s emphatic 238-run win over Nepal in the opening match of the 2023 Asia Cup in Multan. The legendary batter put the hapless Nepal bowlers to the sword with a scintillating 151 after the ‘Men in Green’ were reduced to 25-2 early in the innings.

The historic knock made Babar Azam the first captain in Asia Cup history to breach the 150-run mark in an innings, as he soared past India’s Virat Kohli with ease. By the time of his dismissal, the cricketer had left 14 boundaries and four massive sixes in his wake to take Pakistan near the 350-run total, which unsurprisingly, turned out to be a match-winning one.

The legendary batter also ended up outscoring the entirety of Nepal’s batting line-up in the run-chase, as their response was permanently halted at 104 by the Pakistani pace battery and spin reserves.

2. Virat Kohli 136 vs Bangladesh, Asia Cup 2014

Virat Kohli (Twitter)

In one of his earliest assignments as a captain, Virat Kohli stood up in place of MS Dhoni to upstage Asia Cup 2014 hosts Bangladesh with a majestic ton. The then 25-year-old, in pursuit of Bangladesh’s competitive 279, arrived to the middle in the 12th over of the run-chase.

What transpired thereafter was another Virat Kohli classic as he belted each of his opponents’ bowlers with equal disdain. The batting legend pretty much sealed the game with his 213-run partnership with Ajinkya Rahane, before he eventually perished to a Rubel Hossain yorker at the edge of the finishing line.

Kohli charted 136 in the run-chase from just 122 balls with 16 hits to the fence and two over it, thus registering his 19th ton in ODI cricket and his third as Indian captain in the format.

3. Sourav Ganguly 135* vs Bangladesh, Asia Cup 2000

Sourav Ganguly (Twitter)

Sourav Ganguly electrocuted an inexperienced Bangladesh side as Indian captain during the early stages of the 2000 Asia Cup. The legendary batter opened the innings alongside Sachin Tendulkar and delighted the Dhaka crowd with his six-laden 135*.

Ganguly remained the constant dominant figure throughout his 60-plus stands with Tendulkar, number three Hemang Badani and Mohammad Azharuddin as Team India made light work of Bangladesh’ 249. The ‘Men in Blue’ romped through their target with nearly 10 overs in hand, with Ganguly eventually taking home the ‘Player of the Match’ award for his 124-ball effort.

Remarkably, his innings stood out as the highest individual score by a captain in ODI Asia Cup history for 14 years before Kohli broke the landmark figure against the same opponents.

4. Arjuna Ranatunga 131* vs India, Asia Cup 1997

Arjuna Ranatunga (Twitter)

Sri Lankan great Arjuna Ranatunga set the tone of his side’s 1997 Asia Cup win early in the competition against fellow Asian heavyweights India. The then Sri Lankan captain flayed India’s attack, despite his team’s early jitters at the hands of new-ball paceman Venkatesh Prasad.

Ranatunga orchestrated runs effortlessly from his end in Sri Lanka’s pursuit of 228, and formed handy partnerships with Marvan Atapattu and Lanka de Silva. The cricketer ended up with 131 unbeaten runs to his name, with 17 boundary hits to the fence from 152 deliveries to outclass India with six wickets and 32 balls to spare.

5. Shoaib Malik 125 vs India, Asia Cup 2008

Shoaib Malik (Twitter)

Shoaib Malik reaped full benefits of a high-scoring 2008 Asia Cup in home conditions. In Pakistan’s high-profile clash against arch-rivals India, the then skipper cut, pulled and swept his way to a majestic 125 from just 119 balls.

He tendered each Indian bowler clueless on the day, and it eventually took cramps to put a halt to his epic in Karachi. Malik slapped 16 boundaries and a six in his innings and paved way for Pakistan’s intimidating 299 upfront. Unfortunately for Pakistan, his bowlers let him down as Team India cruised to a remarkable six-wicket win.

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