Asia Cup 2018, stats: A look back at India-Pakistan games in the tournament
With India - Pakistan match in the 2018 Asia Cup just a few days away, let us take a look at some of the key statistics of the two countries against each other in Asia Cup.
• India and Pakistan have faced each other 12 times in Asia Cup. The score stands at 6-5 in favour of India. The India-Pakistan match in the 1997 Asia Cup had to be abandoned due to rain and bad light.
• Shoaib Malik of Pakistan has scored the most number of centuries (2). He scored these centuries in the 2004 & 2008 editions.
• Virat Kohli's 183 against Pakistan in 2012 is the highest individual score. It is not only the highest individual score in the India-Pakistan matches but also the highest individual score in the history of the tournament.
• Most numbers of Man of the Match have been won by Virat Kohli in the encounters between these two countries in Asia Cup - 2 (in 2012 & 2016)
• Shoaib Malik has scored the most number of runs in India-Pakistan encounters in the Asia Cup - 311.
• Mohammad Hafeez (105) & Nasir Jamshed (112) of Pakistan hold the record for the highest batting partnership - 224 runs. It is also the highest partnership in the history of the tournament.
• Moin Khan of Pakistan leads the list of most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in India Pakistan matches in Asia Cup - six (four catches & two stumpings)
• Saeed Ajmal of Pakistan is the leading wicket-taker in India Pakistan matches in Asia Cup - eight wickets
• Abdul Qadir of Pakistan has bowled the most number of maiden overs in India Pakistan matches in Asia Cup - six
• Aaquib Javed's 5/19 against India in 1995, is the best bowling performance by a player in India Pakistan matches in Asia Cup.
• There have been no India Pakistan finals in the history of Asia Cup.
An interesting point to note is the last time India, Pakistan & Hong Kong were in the same group (in 2008), Sri Lanka had won the Asia Cup.
India play Pakistan on 19th September 2018 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, UAE in this year's Asia Cup. The UAE has witnessed two India-Pakistan matches (in 1984 & 1995), with each team winning one match apiece. But these matches were played in Sharjah.
This is the first time both these teams will meet at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, not just in Asia Cup but in the history of India-Pakistan matches. This stadium is also scheduled to host the finals of the 2018 Asia Cup - maybe its finally time for the long-awaited India Pakistan finals.