Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan in the virtual semi-final of the Asia Cup 2023 by two wickets to set a date with India on Sunday for the Asia Cup 2023 final. Charitha Asalanka was their hero in the last over who took the home team over the line against a Pakistani team that kept on fighting. Kusal Mendis was adjudged the player of the match for his 91 from 87 balls. This is the 11th time that Sri Lanka have qualified for the Asia Cup final in ODI format.

Read Also: India vs Bangladesh: Asia Cup 2023 Match Preview, Pitch Report, Possible Lineups & Dream XI Team Prediction

A late start to the game due to rain

Pakistan had announced to make as many as five changes ahead of their big game. But had to go with Fakhar Zaman, who was dropped in the first place due to poor form. Abdullah Shafique replaced Agha Salman in the playing eleven for them as well. Meanwhile, for Sri Lanka, Pramod Madushan replaced Kasun Rajitha, and Kusal Perera replaced Dimuth Karunaratne.

As usual, the toss was delayed due to the rain but Babar Azam did not wait for a second to choose bat when the coin flipped on his side. The game was shortened to 45 overs for each team due to the lost time.

Asia Cup 2023: Sri Lanka vs Pakistan | First inning

Pakistan and Fakhar Zaman did not have the best of starts as a late swinging yorker from Pramod Madushan cleaned the southpaw's stumps for Pakistan's first wicket. But, captain Babar Azam and Abdullah Shafique made sure they steadied the ship for Pakistan. However, it was Young left-arm spinner Wellalage again who turned things for Sri Lanka.

Wellalage outfoxed Babar Azam to lose his balance on the front foot as he drew him forward. Kusal Mendis did the rest to whip the bails off as Babar went to the dressing room for 29. Abdullah Shafique then took Pakistan past the hundred mark but lost his wicket trying to pull a short ball from Matheesha Pathirana right after scoring his maiden fifty. Mohammad Haris soon departed to a slower ball from Pathirana again.

Riwan and Nawaz bailed out Pakistan from danger

After a drizzle again, the game was shortened to a 42-over game. Mohammed Nawaz, who was sent at number six, ahead of Iftikhar Ahmed, lost his wicket post the restart. But, after that, it was all about Mohhamed Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed's partnership. Their sixth-wicket partnership of 108 in 78 took Pakistan to 238 for 6 in 40.3 overs; which looked decent on that wicket. Rizwan's unbeaten 86 from 73 balls took them to 252/7 and DLS confirmed that the score would remain the same after the calculation.

Read Also: Jacques Kallis thinks Hardik Pandya and Ben Stokes can change the fate of their respective teams

Asia Cup 2023: Sri Lanka vs Pakistan | Second Inning

Just like Pakistan, Sri Lanka lost an early wicket at the start of their inning. A flash of brilliance in the field from Shadab Khan made sure Kusal Perera had the depart after a quick start of 17 from 8. Post that, Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis took them to past fifty in eight overs. Pathum then was dismissed for 29 by Shabad Khan who was again sharp to grab a caught and bowled. The match hung in balance at 77/2 in 13.2 overs as Sadeera Samarawickrama joined Kusal Mendis in the middle.

Samarawickrama and Mendis's partnership took Sri Lanka close to the total

Both Samarawickrama and Mendis looked comfortable in the middle while Paksitani bowlers looked for wickets in the middle overs. Their partnership soon crossed the fifty mark as Kusal Mendis completed his third fifty of the Asia Cup 2023. But, their 100-run partnership from 98 balls came to an end when Iftikhar Ahmed dragged Sadeera Samarawickrama out for a stumping. Rizwan was quick there as Samarawickrama departed for 48 with Sri Lanka needing 73 from 72 balls.

Read Also: Jadeja becomes India's most successful Asia Cup bowler

Sri Lanka surely had the upper hand even after losing their third as Kusal Mendis looked solid against both pace and spin. Rizwan dropping Charith Asalanka on 10 helped them too. But, Mendis could not finish the job for Sri Lanka as he was dismissed in the nervous nineties (91 from 87 balls) again. Iftikhar Ahmed was the bowler again for Pakistan with the breakthrough. However, with 41 needing from 40 balls, it was surely Sri Lanka's game to lose.

Pakistan kept on fighting to reach the Asia Cup 2023 final

But, Pakistan kept on fighting as Iftikhar Ahmed again proved to be their main man with the ball. Iftikhar dismissed Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka for 2 while the required run rate went over seven for the first time in the game. With 28 needed from 24 balls, Babar brought his main man Shaheen Shah Afridi into the attack. Although he gave way 8 runs in that over, Afridi ensured he made a solid comeback in the penultimate over of the match.

Shaheen first got rid of Dhananjaya de Silva and then dismissed Dunith Wellalage in the next ball to give some hope to Pakistani fans. With 8 needed from the final over, Babar trusted debutant Zaman Khan to take them home. Zaman did well in the first four balls, giving away only two. But, on the fifth ball, Asalanka found a thick edge past the keeper for a four to leave it with 2 from last ball for the win. On the last ball, Zaman decided to bowl a slower ball on the pads and Charith Asalanka was calm enough to clip it towards deep square leg for the two runs they need to qualify for the Asia Cup final for the 11th time.

Asia Cup 2025 will be held in UAE from 9 to 28 September. Due to T20 World Cup 2026, this time Asia Cup will also be organized in T20 format. India is being seen as the biggest contender in the Asia Cup this time.

Over the years, there have been many batters who have made a significant impact for their sides in the Asia Cup and are even featured in the list of highest run scorer in Asia Cup history. Players like Sachin Tendulkar, Sanath Jayasuriya, Virat Kohli and many more are certified legends for their sides, and they fully deserve the status after their brilliant performances over the years.

With the Asia Cup 2025 right around the corner, let's have a look at the highest run scorer in Asia Cup history.

Also Read: Records T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav can break in Asia Cup 2025

Highest Run Scorer in Asia Cup History | ODI Format

1. Sanath Jayasuriya

Sri Lanka's great Sanath Jayasuriya holds the record for most runs in the history of the Asia Cup in ODI format. He leads the table with 1220 runs in 25 matches, including 6 centuries and 3 fifties. Jayasuriya played from the 1990 edition till the 2018 edition and also has the most number of centuries (6) in Asia Cup history.

2. Kumar Sangakkara

Kumar Sangakkara is second on the list of most runs scored in the Asia Cup. He has been one of Sri Lanka's greatest batters and a consistent run-scorer. Sangakkara played in 5 editions from 2004 to 2014 and scored 1075 runs in 24 games, including 4 hundreds and 8 half-centuries. 

3. Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar, the God of Cricket, is the third-highest run scorer in Asia Cup history. He played in Asia Cup from 1990 to 2012 and is India's highest run-getter in the Asia Cup. Sachin has scored 971 runs in 23 matches at an average of 51.10, with 2 centuries and 7 fifties.  

4. Rohit Sharma

India's current ODI captain Rohit Sharma is the Asia Cup's most runs scorer among all the active players. He played from 2008 to 2023 and scored 939 runs in 28 matches, averaging 46.95. He helped India win the Asia Cup in 2018 and 2023 and remains one of the most successful captains in the history of the nation.

5. Mushfiqur Rahim

Mushfiqur Rahim is the only Bangladesh player in the top 10 batters with the most runs in Asia Cup history. He has played in all the Asia Cups from 2008 to 2023 and scored 830 runs in 25 matches at an impressive average of 36.08 and a strike rate of 83.08. His highest score of 144 was against Sri Lanka in 2018. 

Also Read: Asia Cup 2025 date announced; BCCI yet to confirm participation against Pakistan

Highest Run Scorer in Asia Cup History | T20 Format

1. Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli is at the top of the list of players with the most runs in Asia Cup T20 history. He played 10 matches (9 innings) and scored 429 runs at an impressive average of 85.8 and a strike rate of 132, with three fifties and a century to his name. Kohli has retired from T20Is now and will not feature in the upcoming Asia Cup.

2. Mohammad Rizwan

Mohammad Rizwan is the next in this list and has scored 281 runs so far in six matches in the T20 format of the Asia Cup. He has scored runs at an average of 56.2 and a strike rate of 117.57 with three fifties to his name. Rizwan is not a part of Pakistan's T20I squad and it remains to be seen if he gets picked for the Asia Cup.

3. Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma, like Virat Kohli, has also retired from the shortest format of the game. However, he is third in the list of players with the most runs in the Asia Cup T20. He scored 271 runs in nine innings at an average of 30.11 and a strike rate of 141.14 with two fifties to his credit.

4. Babar Hayat

Babar Hayat of Hong Kong is one of the surprise entries in this list. He has played five matches so far and scored 235 runs in the Asia Cup T20 at an average of 47 and is one of the only two centurions in the tournament. His best score of 122 is also the joint-highest individual score in the Asia Cup.

5. Ibrahim Zadran

Ibrahim Zadran of Afghanistan has also made it to this list. He mustered 196 runs in just five matches at an average of 65.33 and a strike rate of 104.25 with a half-century to his name. Zadran has a chance to climb up the list in the upcoming edition of the Asia Cup.

Indian ODI team captain Rohit Sharma has reached the second position in the men's ICC ODI rankings. In the new rankings released by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday, the Hitman jumped one place and reached the second position. With this, he left behind Pakistan's star batsman Babar Azam. 

Also Read: Most Ducks by an Indian in Tests

Rohit last played in March

Rohit, who has already retired from Tests and T20I, last played an ODI in March during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final against New Zealand, which India won.

Rohit has scored 180 runs in the ICC Champions Trophy in five matches, boasting a highest strike rate of 100.00 among the Indian batters in the tournament. Rohit has 756 rating points in the latest rankings.

Babar failed to perform against West Indies

On the other hand, Babar could not show anything special in the recent ODI series against West Indies, which the Men in Green lost 1-2 in Trinidad. As a result, he slipped to the third position.

With Babar managing just 56 runs against West Indies in three ODIs, the International Cricket Council (ICC) took a note of his strike rate to drop him to third. He managed a strike rate of just 62.22 against West Indies.

Gill at No. 1

There has been no change in Shubman Gill's reign in the latest ICC ODI rankings for batters. He is in first place with 784 rating points. Apart from Gill and Rohit, the third Indian in the top five is Virat Kohli, who is in fourth place. He has 736 rating points.

India continues to dominate the ODI charts, with five players in the top 15, including Shreyas Iyer (8th) and KL Rahul (15th).

Also Read: Shreyas Iyer's best knocks in Tests

India to play next ODI series against Australia

It is worth mentioning that the Indian team will tour Australia in October. During this time a three-match ODI series will be played between the two.

Rohit announced after Champions Trophy 2025 that he does not intend to retire from ODI cricket, even sharing a moment with Kohli joking about it during the celebrations.

However, despite having eyes on the 2027 Cricket World Cup, Rohit and Kohli's spots are reportedly not a guarantee in the ODI setup. In fact, as per reports in recent days, the veteran duo will also have to turn up in domestic cricket as a metric for form and fitness.

On the other hand, whether Rohit will continue to be captain till the World Cup is also a topic of debate. With 25-year-old Shubman Gill impressing in England, Rohit isn't an automatic captaincy selection anymore. However, the ODI rankings continue to reflect both Rohit and Kohli's continued prowess in the 50-over format.

The World Test Championship was started in 2019 to make Test cricket interesting. The Championship has changed the way Test Cricket is being played. Teams like England and India, along with Australia, have shown their aggressive brand of cricket. 

South Africa are the current winner of the ICC World Test Championship. New Zealand and Australia have won the World Test Championships in the first two editions, while India played the final on both occasions.

Joe Root, the former test captain of England, has scored the most test centuries (21) in the World Test Championship.

Here are the players with the most Test centuries in the World Test Championship.

1. Joe Root | 21

England's Joe Root has the most Test centuries in the World Test Championship. So far, he has scored 21 centuries in 126 innings of 69 matches. Root is also the batsman who has scored the most runs in this tournament, with 6080 runs at an average of 52.86.

Till now, Root is the only batter to score more than 6000 runs in WTC history.

His best knock came against India in 2021 when he scored 228 in Chennai to help his side win the game. 

Read Also: Fav four in cricket: Kohli vs Root vs Williamson vs Smith overall stats

2. Steven Smith | 13

Australia's Steve Smith has now scored the most test centuries in the World Test Championship. The Aussie top-order batter has been one of the best test batters of this generation and has scored runs all around the world.

Smith is known for his unorthodox and yet effective batting style, which keeps on annoying the opponent's bowling lineups.

Till now in WTC, Steve Smith has scored 4225 runs at an outstanding average of 50.29, including 13 test centuries.

Read Also | Most Test Runs in Cricket History (Men's)

3. Marnus Labuschagne | 11

Australia's Marnus Labuschagne has scored 11 centuries in his Test career, and all have been scored in the World Test Championship. In 53 matches, he has scored 4225 runs at an average of 48.01 during the Test Championship.

Marnus used to have his test average over 50. However, a recent dip in form, which also led to him being dropped from the test side as well, brought his batting average down. 

Still, he is the batter with the second-most test centuries and third-most runs in WTC history so far. 

4. Kane Williamson | 11

Kane Williamson has batted amazingly in the World Test Championship. He has played only 28 matches so far in this tournament, but has managed to score 11 centuries in his 50 innings. 

Williamson has the best average (61.34) among the batsmen who have scored at least 2000 runs in the World Test Championship. During the Test match versus South Africa, the former Kiwi skipper scored two tons in the same game. 

Williamson, with 33 test centuries, is the batter with the third most test centuries among active batters. 

5. Rohit Sharma | 9

Former Indian test captain Rohit Sharma is the only Indian batter included in the 'most Test centuries in the World Test Championship' list.

Before retiring from the format, Rohit played 40 matches during the Test Championship since 2019. In his 69 innings, he has scored 9 centuries and 8 half-centuries with his bat.

With 2716 runs in the World Test Championship in just 40 Tests, Rohit is the highest scorer for India in WTC history so far, with an average is 41.15. Rohit Sharma's all of 9 test tons in WTC came in winning cause for India. 

Also Read: Most Test Hundreds for India since 2021

6. Harry Brook | 9

Currently, the ICC No.1 Men's test batter, Harry Brook, comes at number six on our list of players with the most test centuries in the World Test Championship. 

The English youngster has just played 26 test matches during the WTC cycles and has scored 9 centuries so far. 

Apart from Joe Root, he has been the shining armour of the English batting lineup in the last two seasons. Brook, till now, has scored 2424 test runs in WTC at an average of 55.09, with an outstanding strike rate of 84.54, the highest in WTC history. 

Read Also | Top 10 Underrated Cricketers Who Can Surprise You in 2025

7. Shubman Gill | 9

Before starting his tenure as the captain of the Indian men's test cricket team, Shubman Gill was nowhere on this list of batters with the most test hundreds in WTC history. 

Read Also | Every record Shubman Gill broke during the ENG vs IND, 2nd test at Edgbaston

But as he wore the blazer of the Indian team, he was a different beast. In the first two tests as captain, he hit three centuries, which also had a highest score of 269, the highest by any Indian test captain. 

Till now, in 37 tests in WTC, Gill has scored 2647 runs at an average of 41.35, including 9 test tons. 

8. Babar Azam | 8

The former Pakistan skipper has scored 8 centuries during the World Test Championship cycle. Babar Azam is the sixth in the list of batters with the most test centuries in WTC history.

In 36 matches, he has also scored 2998 runs at an average of 48.35 during the Test Championship.

The 29-year-old isn’t in the greatest of form currently, but on his day, Babar Azam is a delight to watch.

One of his most memorable knocks came against Australia in Karachi in 2022. Babar scored 196 while chasing a huge total in the 4th inning of the game.

9. Dhananjaya de Silva | 8

Sri Lanka's Dhananjaya De Silva might be one of the surprising names on this list.

The Sri Lanka captain has been one of the best batters for his country despite lacking support from the other end, most of the time.

So far, he has scored 8 centuries in 62 innings of 35 matches. Dhananjaya also scored 2509 runs, with an average of 44.80, during the Test Championship. Dhananjaya is also one of the active players with the most test centuries currently. 

Also Read: Most Wickets in Test Cricket

10. Travis Head | 8

Travis Head, the swashbuckling left-handed batter, has also scored 8 test tons during the World Test Championship cycle. The Aussie batter is one of the most dangerous middle-order batters in the world at the moment in test cricket. 

Till now, in 51 matches in WTC, Head has scored 3264 runs at an average of 40.80, with a strike-rate of 72.85. Head also scored 15 fifties during the World Test Championship. 

Head's 7 out of 8 test tons during the WTC came in a winning cause for Australia.

Read Also | Every heated moment of IPL 2025 that you missed

11. Usman Khawaja | 8

Australian opener Usman Khawaja has hit 8 centuries during the World Test Championship cycle.

In 42 matches, he has scored 3251 runs at an average of 45.78. The Southpaw batter is a treat to watch when he is in song and has restored his career with some outstanding scores for the current WTC champions.

He was also the second-highest-scoring batsman in the 2021–2023 WTC cycle with 1,621 runs, the highest by an Australian batsman.

The hashtag #BoycottAsiaCup is trending on X (formerly Twitter) as Indian cricket fans and social media users express outrage over India’s scheduled match against Pakistan in the 2025 Asia Cup. The tournament is set to take place from September 9 to 28 in the UAE, with India and Pakistan placed in the same group and likely to face each other up to a possible three times during the event.

The backlash boosted following the tragic terrorist attack in Pahalgam in April 2025, which claimed 26 civilian lives, and India’s subsequent military response, Operation Sindoor. Many Indian fans see the decision to play Pakistan as insensitive and accuse the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) of prioritising commercial attractions over national sentiment. This has led to calls for the BCCI to boycott the Asia Cup to uphold a stance against Pakistan's involvement amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.

Enough of this nonsense. #BoycottAsiaCup https://t.co/onAFIGwMju

— Aditya Saha (@Adityakrsaha) July 26, 2025

Criticism has also targeted Indian players and officials for inconsistency, such as their boycott of a recent World Championship of Legends match against Pakistan, but their willingness to play in the Asia Cup. The controversy reflects the wider debate about whether sports should remain separate from political issues between the two nations.

If Terror and Talks Can’t go Together then Terror and Cricket can’t go together. #BoycottAsiaCup #BoycottBCCI pic.twitter.com/sbPzjXOHMH

— BRADDY (@braddy_Codie05) July 26, 2025

Asia Cup 2025 full schedule

The Bangladesh vs Pakistan T20I series is all set to start from 20th July 2025. The 3-match T20I series will be played in Mirpur, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Before the series starts, we present you with the list of players with the most T20I runs for Bangladesh against Pakistan.

Most T20I runs for Bangladesh against Pakistan

Currently, Shakib-Al-Hasan leads the chart of players with the most T20I runs for Bangladesh against Pakistan. Not only that, Shakib is also the Bangladeshi batter with the most T20I runs for the Tigers. 

#5 Mohammed Nazimuddin | 123 runs

• 2 matches
• 123 runs
• 61.50 avg.
• 125.51 strike-rate

Nazimuddin, who played only two T20I games for Bangladesh against Pakistan way back in 2007-08, has scored 123 runs with a stunning average of 61.50. 

Interestingly, despite performing well in that Pakistan tour of Bangladesh in 2008, he was dropped from the T20I side and never played in that format for his country. 

The right-handed top-order batter even scored a fifty in his two games for Bangladesh against Pakistan. His career-best of 81 also came against Pakistan. Due to his competition with other opening batters and a slow strike-rate, he could not find a place in the team.

Read Also | Soumya Sarkar Breaks Sachin Tendulkar's 14-Year-Old Record In 2nd ODI vs New Zealand

 #4 Afif Hossain | 186 runs

• 9 matches
• 186 runs
• 23.25 avg.
• 109.41 strike-rate

The left-handed batter scored 186 runs in 9 matches for Bangladesh against Pakistan. 

Although he has already played 70 T20I matches for the Tigers, he has not been able to do justice to the talent he has. Hossain first played against Pakistan in 2020 and last played in the Asian Games 2024. 

 #3 Litton Das | 210 runs

• 8 matches
• 210 runs
• 26.25 avg.
• 131.25 strike-rate

The current Bangladeshi T20I captain, Litton Das, has done well in the chances he got against Pakistan. The flamboyant top-order batter has scored 210 runs in 8 matches against Pakistan at a strike-rate of 131.25. 

Litton has also hit a fifty against Pakistan in Christchurch in 2022 during the T20I tri-series between them and hosts New Zealand. 

In the upcoming BAN vs PAK T20I series, Das will get his chances to increase the number of runs. 

#2 Tamim Iqbal | 235 runs

• 11 matches
• 235 runs
• 21.36 avg.
• 120.51 strike-rate

There are hardly any T20I stats for Bangladesh where Tamim Iqbal does not appear. The former left-handed opener and part of the 'Golden era' of Bangladesh cricket, scored 235 runs in 11 matches for Bangladesh against Pakistan. 

He was the first Bangladeshi batter to score a T20I hundred. 

From 2007 to 2020, Tamim scored at a 120.51 strike rate against Pakistan, which is higher than his career T20I strike rate of 116.96. His only fifty against Pakistan came in his last inning against the neighbours in Lahore in 2020.

Read Also | Who scored the fastest century in T20 World Cups?

#1 Shakib-Al-Hasan | 360 runs

• 11 matches
• 360 runs
• 40 avg.
• 132.35 strike-rate

Probably the greatest Bangladeshi player, Shakib-Al-Hasan, has always proved himself against better opponents. The left-handed all-rounder has scored the most T20I runs for Bangladesh against Pakistan.

Not only that, his 2551 T20I runs are also a record for any Bangladeshi batter. 

In 11 matches against Pakistan, Shakib scored 360 runs, including four fifties, at an outstanding average of 40.00. He also had a strike rate of 132.35 against the Pakistani team. 

In fact, Shakib has scored the most T20I runs against Pakistan in his career.