Virender Sehwag’s 3 best performances in Asia Cup

The 16th edition of Asia Cup kicks off on August 30 with Pakistan taking on Nepal in the inaugural match in Multan. The 50-over tournament will mark the final phase of Asian teams’ preparations for the upcoming ODI World Cup. The blockbuster clash of the continental event will take place on September 2 when India, the tournament’s most successful team, takes on arch-rivals Pakistan in Kandy.

The likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Shahid Afridi, Kumar Sangakkara, Virender Sehwag, Sanath Jayasuriya, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have played many memorable knocks in the premier Asian tournament over the years. If we go by history, former Indian opener Sehwag has set the Asia Cup on fire with his devastating striking on several occasions.

In this article, we take a look at Virender Sehwag‘s top three performances in Asia Cup history.

3. 78 (44) vs Hong Kong in 2008

On June 25, 2008, India crushed Hong Kong in their Asia Cup debut year as they hammered the minnows by a mammoth 256 runs in Karachi. India’s innings revolved around two huge partnerships: Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir’s 127-run first-wicket partnership and the fourth-wicket partnership between Dhoni and Raina, where they scored 166 runs.

The openers cruised to 100 in just 10.5 overs as Sehwag (78 off 44) and Gambhir (51 off 54) smashed a hapless Hong Kong bowling attack all around the park. The two stunning partnerships took India’s team total to 374/4, which Dhoni and Co. looked to be enough to beat Hong Kong twice.

2. 81 (92) vs Sri Lanka in 2004

Sehwag’s 81 in Colombo was crucial in India’s nail-biting victory against Sri Lanka by just 4 runs. Batting first, India suffered a setback early on when Sachin Tendulkar got out in the seventh over. However, Sehwag and Sourav Ganguly put India back on track with a 100-plus stand for the second wicket. The right-handed opener smashed 81 off 92 balls, including six fours and two sixes, to guide India to 271/6.

1. 119 (95) vs Pakistan in 2008

One of the strongest hitters in world cricket, Sehwag had no mercy for Pakistan. His 119 in Karachi against Pakistan‘s strong bowling attack, comprising Umar Gul, Sohail Tanvir and Shahid Afridi, is one of the top knocks in the history of the Asia Cup. The 300-run target looked tough at the time, but Sehwag’s brave knock with 8 overs left made a mockery of the chase and helped India win the match with 8 overs left. The right-hander scored a magnificent century off just 95 balls with 12 fours and 5 maximums.