Decoding Team Sri Lanka's stats in Asia Cup
Sri Lanka will fight for their seventh Asia Cup title in the 2023 edition of the continental tournament, which will get underway on August 30. The tournament will be staged in a hybrid model this year with four games in Pakistan and nine in Sri Lanka. A total of six teams will take part. Here we decode Sri Lanka's run at the Asia Cup.
Six Asia Cup titles
Sri Lanka have clinched six of the past 15 editions of the Asia Cup. They tasted glory in 1986, 1997, 2004, 2008, 2014, and 2022. Only Team India owns more trophies (7). Having won the last year's competition, which was played in the T20I format, SL will start as defending champions. This year, the event will be played in the ODI format.
Most wins in Asia Cup (ODIs)
The Lankan team boasts the most number of wins in the ODI editions of the Asia Cup. They have emerged winners 34 times in 50 games. India (31) and Pakistan (26) trail them in this regard. No other team has 10-plus wins at the event. SL's record at home is even more sensational as they own 14 wins in 17 games in this regard.
SL's top performers at the event (ODIs)
With 1,220 runs, Sanath Jayasuriya is the all-time highest run-getter of the Asia Cup. His former teammate Kumar Sangakkara (1,075) is the only other batter with 1,000-plus runs at the event. Muttiah Muralitharan (30) and Lasith Malinga (29) are the leading wicket-takers. The latter owns most Asia Cup fifers (3). Ajantha Mendis owns the lone six-wicket-haul in the competition's history, 6/13 versus India (2008).
SL's record in T20 editions of the Asia Cup
Two editions of the Asia Cup have been played in the T20 format, in 2016 and 2022. While SL could not qualify for the final in 2016, they stunned the cricket world by tasting glory last year. As per ESPNcricinfo, SL have six wins in 10 T20 Asia Cup games. Only India own more victories in this regard (8).
SL's top performers in T20 Asia Cup
Bhanuka Rajapaksa was instrumental to SL's triumph last year, hammering 191 runs at a strike rate of 149.21. Pathum Nissanka slammed 173 runs in the competition at an average of 34.60. Wanindu Hasaranga claimed nine wickets in six games last year with his economy being 7.39. Chamika Karunaratne took seven wickets besides scoring 66 runs last year.
