Cricket
Best Team in Asia Cup Ever: A Data-Driven Verdict
Among the great continental cricket tournaments of the world, the Asia Cup is ranked among the most prestigious, drawing on four decades of history. First hosted in 1984 and heading into its 17th edition in September 2025, the competition has set the stage for fierce rivalries and nail-biting finishes.
India's players celebrate with the trophy after winning the Asia Cup 2023//Getty Images
Iconic battles like India versus Pakistan and determined efforts by Bangladesh to claim their first title have come to define and even shape the Asia Cup.
When considering the continental tournament’s all-time team ranking, SportsBoom has provided a statistical view and also looked at the expert opinions.
These have then been combined to create the ‘SB Market Index’, giving a comprehensive answer as to which Asia Cup nation stands at the top.
SB Market Index: How We Evaluate the Best Team in Asia Cup History
For Asia's top cricket nations, SportsBoom’s evaluation has combined a detailed statistical analysis of historical tournament performance with expert perception to create the SB Market Index.
Industry Insights
SportsBoom has utilised a curated analysis from nine of the top cricketing sources, measuring each team’s perceived historical standing and impact in the Asia Cup.
| Source/Team | India | Sri Lanka | Pakistan | Bangladesh | Afghanistan |
| TheCricbuzz | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| CricketSchedule | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| InsideSport (Sri Lanka stats) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| MadAboutSports (win %) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| ESPNcricinfo (Asia Cup summary) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SportsAdda (winners list) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| SportsAdda (match wins stat) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| InsideSport (winners list) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| CareerPower (winners list) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 8 | 9 | 8 | 2 | 2 |
The ‘Industry Insights’ score places Sri Lanka in first position, with India and Pakistan having a slightly lower perception from media sources.
SB Score
The ‘SB Score’ has been calculated based on several historical metrics: Asia Cup winners history (carrying a 40% weightage), overall win percentage (30% weightage), total matches played (20% weightage) and runners-up finishes (10% weightage).
The raw stats have been used to calculate the final SB Score.
SB Score
| Team | Matches Played | Win % | Titles | Runners-up | SB Score |
| India | 65 | 66.15% | 8 | 3 | 0.9399 |
| Sri Lanka | 66 | 65.15% | 6 | 7 | 0.8955 |
| Pakistan | 60 | 55.00% | 2 | 3 | 0.5740 |
| Bangladesh | 55 | 21.81% | 0 | 3 | 0.3082 |
| Afghanistan | 16 | 31.25% | 0 | 0 | 0.1900 |
In a purely statistical context, India ranks first in terms of the ‘SB Score’, with a strong win rate and the most Asia Cup trophies.
SB Market Index
| Rank | Team | SB Score | Industry Insights | SB Market Index |
| 1 | Sri Lanka | 0.8955 | 9 | 7.379 |
| 2 | India | 0.9399 | 8 | 6.588 |
| 3 | Pakistan | 0.5740 | 8 | 6.515 |
| 4 | Bangladesh | 0.3082 | 2 | 1.662 |
| 5 | Afghanistan | 0.1900 | 2 | 1.638 |
When combining the ‘SB Score’ and ‘Industry Insights’, Sri Lanka receives the superior ‘SB Market Index’ rating.
Lasith Malinga celebrates after dismissing Pakistan’s Bilawal Bhatti//Getty Images
Sri Lanka: The Consistent Kings of the Asia Cup?
It could be argued that a purely statistical look at Sri Lanka Asia Cup titles devalues a nation that surged in the 90s and reaped success on the global and continental stage.
With six trophies and seven runner-up finishes in the tournament, a superior ‘Industry Insights’ score proves the South Asians are highly rated by experts in the cricket arena.
As champions in 1986, 1997, 2004, 2008 and 2014, Sri Lanka might have less overall titles than the indomitable India, but still stand tall in this Asian cricket team comparison.
While the Lions have found themselves struggling to replicate the form that made them feared in the early 2000s, it would be hard to bet against a resurgence in coming years.
India: The Statistical Powerhouse
Based on the India Asia Cup record alone, India is the most successful team from the continent, winning the trophy eight times and ending as runner-up three times.
The Men in Blue were the inaugural winners in 1984 and won consistently until 1995, apart from the 1986 edition, where they withdrew amid tension with Sri Lanka.
Something of a slump occurred in the late 90s and through the 2000s, before the powerhouse nation returned to the top of the Asia Cup with regular title success.
India’s dominance of the tournament is reflected in their SB Score, boasting the most trophies and the highest win percentage, making them statistically the best.
Pakistan: The Formidable Contenders
Pakistan have only tasted glory in the Asia Cup twice, with their record in the tournament a tale of masterful team performances and disheartening slumps in form.
Still, a win percentage of above 50% is commendable, proving that when everything clicks, the Shaheens are likely to soar - as they did in the 1992 World Cup.
While they might not carry the same ‘perennial winners’ pedigree in the Asia Cup as India and Sri Lanka, Pakistan are still rated highly by experts in the field.
This is reflected in Pakistan’s notable Industry Insights score, which has placed them alongside rivals India despite having far fewer continental title victories.
This is also indicative of the Falcons’ status as a major Asian cricketing force, having proven time and again the danger of underestimating their strength.
Conclusion on Asian Cricket's Hierarchy & Disclaimer
When looking at India vs Sri Lanka vs Pakistan Asia Cup performances, the statistical analysis and expert opinions paint an intriguing picture.
It is worth noting that Sri Lanka’s higher ‘Industry Insights’ rating placed them ahead of India, who had a stronger ‘SB Score’ with more titles.
Although the Lions have the edge in SportsBoom’s heavily-weighted ‘SB Market Index’, the Men in Blue also have a shout at the title of greatest.
Pakistan’s strong showing in the same rating system is also indicative of their status as a looming contender in continental cricket battles.
However, for this Asia Cup all-time team ranking, Sri Lanka have claimed the top spot, but could 2025 be the year they rise to the top once again?
Bruce Douglas has more than 12 years of experience in local news media. He has worked at all levels of print and online publication, from crime and politics to photography, newspaper layout, proofreading, mentoring, sub-editing, and leading a newsroom. He played numerous sports at the school level and enjoys keeping up to date.