From Afridi's last-over fireworks to Kohli's magnum opus in Mirpur, the Asia Cup has staged some of the most unforgettable duels between cricket's fiercest
rivals
When India face PAK on September 14 in Dubai, it will mark yet another chapter in a rivalry that has already provided the Asia Cup with some of its most dramatic moments.
In over 19 encounters in the tournament’s history, India have won 10 times, Pakistan have celebrated victory on six occasions, while three games have ended without a result. Within these figures lie contests that continue to capture the imagination - matches where statistics are intertwined with storylines, and where every over felt like history in the making.
2014 - Afridi's two sixes of destiny, Mirpur
Few finishes have been as explosive as the one at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium in 2014. PAK needed ten runs in the final over of a tense chase of 246, with Ravichandran Ashwin handed the ball. His first delivery bowled Saeed Ajmal, and India sensed victory. Then came Shahid Afridi.
Credit: Sky Sports
With the kind of audacity only he could summon, he launched Ashwin’s next two balls into the stands, sealing a one-wicket win with two balls to spare. Afridi’s unbeaten 34 from just 18 balls eclipsed Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s brilliant penultimate over and erased the advantage India thought they had secured.
2010 - Harbhajan vs Akhtar, Dambulla drama
In 2010, Dambulla produced an ending as fiery as the players involved. PAK’s total of 267 looked competitive, built on Salman Butt’s 74 and Kamran Akmal's fluent 51. India responded with Gautam Gambhir’s 83 and MS Dhoni’s 56, but the game reached a boiling point in the final overs.
Credit: ESPN
With India needing 7 off 4 balls, Harbhajan Singh sent Mohammad Amir sailing over midwicket for six. His furious roar, directed at Shoaib Akhtar — who had earlier engaged in a fiery exchange after a bouncer — remains one of the most iconic images of the rivalry. India scraped home by 3 wickets with a ball to spare, sealing a chase of 271 in one of the Asia Cup’s most volatile finishes.
2012 - Kohli's masterpiece, Mirpur
If one innings ever redefined the scale of Indo-Pak encounters, it was Virat Kohli’s masterclass in 2012. Set a daunting 330 to win after PAK’s openers Mohammad Hafeez (105) and Nasir Jamshed (112) had posted centuries in a 224-run stand, India were rattled early when Gautam Gambhir fell for a two-ball duck. What followed was artistry.
Credit: Crictracker
Kohli scored 183 from 148 balls, including 22 fours and a six, adding 133 runs with Sachin Tendulkar and 172 with Rohit Sharma (68). India’s successful chase of 330, completed with 13 balls to spare, was then their highest in ODI history, and Kohli’s innings remains the highest individual score by a batter in Asia Cup history.
2004 - Malik's brilliance, Colombo
The 2004 edition in Colombo was captained by Shoaib Malik. His 143 from 127 balls anchored PAK’s total of 300 for nine wickets, putting India immediately on the back foot. Sachin Tendulkar fought back with 78, supported by Sourav Ganguly’s 39 and Irfan Pathan’s 38, but India’s chase faltered at 241 for eight.
Credit: Sportstar
While PAK claimed a 59-run victory, the match contained an unusual subplot: India managed to deny their rivals a bonus point by scrambling two byes off the final deliveries, keeping the margin under 60. This tactical move allowed India to reach the final despite the defeat, adding another twist to a fiercely competitive rivalry.
2008 - Sehwag and Raina's blitz, Karachi
In 2008, Karachi, Pakistan scored 299/4, built on Shoaib Malik’s 125 from 119 balls. The total appeared formidable on a sluggish pitch — until Virender Sehwag and Suresh Raina rewrote the script. Sehwag smashed 119 off just 80 deliveries, while Raina hammered 84 from 69.
Credit: ESPN
Their 198-run stand for the second wicket dismantled PAK’s bowlers, and India raced to 301 for four in just 42.1 overs, winning with nearly eight overs to spare. Long before 300-plus chases became routine, India’s fearless approach in Karachi signalled a new era of batting dominance.
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