Started as a tournament to promote goodwill, the Asia Cup has become a launchpad for lesser-known teams

Four matches into the Asia Cup, and the continental showdown is yet to deliver a remotely competitive contest. Oman was rolled over by Pakistan for 67 in Dubai on Friday, after India skittled the UAE for 57 and Afghanistan restricted Hong Kong to 94 in the tournament opener.

Hong Kong showed improvement to post what seemed a competitive 143 against Bangladesh in Abu Dhabi, but that was clinically chased down with seven wickets in hand and 14 balls to spare.

The eight-team tournament, which includes three Associate Members (UAE, Hong Kong, and Oman), hasn’t made for exciting viewing or attracted large crowds, but Oman all-rounder Sufyan Mehmood believes it is an important stepping stone in achieving parity with the Test-playing nations.

“The gap between Associate nations and Test-playing nations can only be reduced if they play more against each other. If you play once in two or three years, then obviously the difference will be there. It is a good learning for all the Associate teams in this Asia Cup. More Associate countries should play against Test-playing nations,” Mehmood said after Oman’s 93-run defeat against Pakistan.

Oman is a first-timer in the Asia Cup, though it participated in the Qualifying Group stage of the competition in 2016.

A tournament that started with the aim of promoting goodwill between India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka in 1984, the Asia Cup has expanded into a platform for lesser-fancied teams to rub shoulders with the heavyweights in recent years.

Though a more balanced grouping for this year’s Asia Cup may have lent the tournament a competitive edge, UAE head coach Lalchand Rajput believes it would have deprived his players of a rare opportunity.

“It is a great opportunity for our team; otherwise, when would we play against Indian players? When would our players be able to compete with them and know where they stand? This gives them an opportunity to know the skill level of players from India and Pakistan.

Doing well against these teams gives confidence,” Rajput said after UAE’s comprehensive nine-wicket defeat to India.

A launchpad

Afghanistan’s rise as a significant force in world cricket can be traced back to the 2018 Asia Cup, during which it beat Sri Lanka for the first time in any format and tied a match against eventual winner India. Afghanistan has registered six more wins against the Lankans since, including one during the 2022 edition of the continental event.

Bangladesh, too, has emerged as a plucky competitor, having reached the final of the Asia Cup three times, in 2012, 2016, and 2018, but has fallen short of overcoming the last hurdle on every occasion.

A widening pool

Asia Cup’s expansion from a six-team competition in 2023 to an eight-team skirmish this year comes at a time when the International Cricket Council (ICC) has also widened participation at the Men’s T20 World Cup, which will feature 20 teams for the second successive edition next year.

Meanwhile, the marquee Men’s ODI World Cup will witness 14 teams in action in 2027 and 2031 after the showpiece had been reduced to just 10 sides for the 2019 and 2023 editions.

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With limited bilateral engagement between Associate Nations and Full Members, multi-team tournaments have become an important avenue for the former to compete at the highest level. The experiment has also borne fruit, with the USA shocking Pakistan, and Namibia upsetting Sri Lanka in the two most recent editions of the T20 World Cup.

With eight more group-stage matches remaining before the Super Fours begin, the ongoing Asia Cup may still feature a few sparsely attended and one-sided contests. But achieving parity—whether in sport or in society—is often a long and tedious journey.

Published on Sep 13, 2025