Asia Cup: 5 lowest totals in history of tournament

India and Sri Lanka locked horns in one of the most historic and memorable matches in the ODI history. Both teams played in the final of the recently concluded Asia Cup 2023 at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Sri Lanka faced a horrific collapse in the title clash and got all out only on the score of 50 runs in just 15.2 overs.

The reason behind this was none other than the star Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj who scalped a total of 6 wickets, conceding just 21 runs in 7 overs with one maiden. Siraj also got support from fellow pacers, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya.

Dasun Shanaka’s men also recorded one of the lowest totals in the history of both and the history of the Asia Cup so far. With said that, here we’ll have a look at the five lowest totals in the history of the Asia Cup, which included Sri Lanka more than once.

Bangladesh – 99 against India, 1988

India and Bangladesh were taking on each other in a match of the Asia Cup 1988. India’s Arshad Ayub bowled a brilliant spell and took 3 wickets. It also helped India to bundle up the Bangladesh only on a low total of 99 runs. The remaining other bowlers of India also claimed one wicket each to their names.

Former Indian opener Navjot Singh Sidhu's unbeaten half-century powered India to a 9-wicket win over Bangladesh as 24 overs were left in the second innings.

Sri Lanka – 96 against India, 1984

It was the inaugural edition of the Asia Cup in 1984, India took on Sri Lanka, the team which was in their initial days of building as a full-time cricketing nation. On the other hand, Team India were the then defending World Cup Champions after clinching the title of the 1983 World Cup, in England.

India bowled first and the bowling attack comprising Chetan Sharma, Madan Lal, Manoj Prabhakar, and Ravi Shastri packed up Sri Lanka only at a score of 96 runs. Sharma and Madan Lal scalped three wickets each alongside 1 and 2 wickets picked by Shastri and Prabhakar, respectively.

Bangladesh – 94 against Pakistan, 1986

The opponent was changed against Bangladesh in this low-scoring affair; this time they were playing against Imran Khan-led Pakistan in an Asia Cup 1986 match. Star pacer Wasim Akram took 4 wickets at the cost of just 19 runs. He got brilliant support from fellow pacer, skipper Imran Khan and spinner Abdul Qadir.

Pakistan’s mighty bowling attack bundled up Bangladesh at the score of only 96 runs. Pakistan won this match by 7 wickets, chasing down the total in 32.1 overs.

Bangladesh – 87 against Pakistan, 2000

The hosts, Bangladesh took on Pakistan and it was the fourth fixture of the Asia Cup 2000. The visiting skipper won the toss and decided to bat first. Pakistan posted a big total of 320 runs for the loss of just 3 wickets in the allotted 50 overs. Star batters, Imran Nazir and Mohammad Yousuf played the brilliant knocks of 80 runs each.

While defending the target, star all-rounder Abdul Razzaq scalped three wickets, alongside Azhar Mahmood’s 2 with one wicket each picked by Wasim Akram, Arshad Khan, and Mohammad Akram.

Sri Lanka – 50 against India, 2023

It is the most recent entry in the list of the lowest totals in Asia Cup history and eventually, it also happened to top the list. The hosts, Sri Lanka took on Rohit Sharma’s India in the final of the Asia Cup 2023. Skipper Dasun Shanaka won the flip of the coin and asked his batters to take charge.

But the Sri Lankan batters completely surrendered against the lethal bowling of India’s Mohammed Siraj, who picked by 4 wickets during the second over of his spell. Siraj’s individual heroics of 6 wickets, supported by Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya with 1 and 3 wickets, respectively, sent back the entire Sri Lankan team at the score of just 50 runs.

India chased down the total in just 6.1 overs, scoring 51 runs without any loss and winning the match by a mammoth margin of 10 wickets.