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Pakistan's Left-Arm Menace Shaheen Afridi’s Biggest Asia Cup Victims Ft. India

Soumyajit Dutta

Shaheen Afridi's best Asia Cup spells [Source: @croated_goat/X.com]Shaheen Afridi's best Asia Cup spells [Source: @croated_goat/X.com]

Shaheen Shah Afridi has consistently been Pakistan's premier strike weapon in the Asia Cup, terrorizing batting lineups with his searing pace, lethal swing, and unerring accuracy. From dismantling top orders with fiery new-ball bursts to delivering crucial breakthroughs in high-pressure moments, his spells have often been the defining feature of Pakistan's campaigns. 

This list counts down his five most impactful bowling performances in the tournament, each one a proof of his ability to swing the momentum and leave a massive dent on the grandest stage of Asian cricket.

5) 2/52 vs Sri Lanka

Shaheen Shah Afridi bowled a tight spell, finishing with 2/52 from 9 overs in a high-pressure clash against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup 2023 Super Four match at Colombo. 

Shaheen dismissed Dhananjaya de Silva and Dunith Wellalage in quick succession to bring Pakistan back into the game during the final overs. However, despite his efforts, Sri Lanka held their nerve, chasing 252 on the last ball and winning by two wickets via the DLS method.

4) 2/47 vs Bangladesh

Afridi delivered a steady spell in Pakistan’s Asia Cup 2018 Super Four clash against Bangladesh at Abu Dhabi, returning figures of 2/47 in his full quota of 10 overs with one maiden. He made an early impact by dismissing Mominul Haque for 5 and later broke a crucial stand by removing the in-form Mushfiqur Rahim, who top-scored with 99. 

Despite Shaheen’s efforts, Bangladesh posted 239, thanks largely to Mushfiqur and Mithun’s 144-run partnership. In reply, Pakistan faltered under scoreboard pressure, with Imam-ul-Haq’s fighting 83 proving insufficient. Bangladesh sealed a memorable 37-run victory, booking their place in the final while Pakistan bowed out of the tournament.

3) 2/38 vs Afghanistan

Shaheen Shah Afridi produced a fiery spell in the 2018 Asia Cup Super Four clash against Afghanistan at Abu Dhabi, finishing with 2/38 in his 10 overs. The then young left-arm pacer dismissed Asghar Afghan for 67 and removed Mohammad Nabi cheaply, ensuring Pakistan kept Afghanistan’s total in check at 257/6. 

Shaheen's tight bowling with economy rate of 3.80 restricted the scoring rate despite Hashmatullah Shahidi’s unbeaten 97. Chasing 258, Pakistan relied on Imam-ul-Haq (80) and Babar Azam (66) before Shoaib Malik’s unbeaten 51 off 43 balls sealed a thrilling three-wicket win with just three balls to spare.

2) 2/27 vs Nepal

Shaheen Afridi gave Pakistan a dream start in the Asia Cup 2023 opener against Nepal at Multan with a fiery new-ball spell. He struck twice in his first over, removing opener Kushal Bhurtel for 8 and captain Rohit Paudel for a golden duck, leaving Nepal reeling at 10/2. Shaheen’s pace and swing unsettled the top order as he finished with figures of 2/27 in 5 overs. 

Backed by Haris Rauf (2/16) and Shadab Khan’s four-wicket burst, Pakistan bowled Nepal out for just 104 in 23.4 overs. Earlier, Babar Azam’s masterful 151 and Iftikhar Ahmed’s explosive 109 powered Pakistan to 342/6. Pakistan secured a dominant 238-run victory to open their campaign in style

1) 4/35 vs India

Shaheen's best Asia Cup performance came against India in a match that yielded no results. He produced a fiery spell in the Asia Cup 2023 clash, ripping through India’s top order with 4/35 in 10 overs. The left-arm pacer dismissed Rohit Sharma with a peach, then removed Virat Kohli cheaply before returning later to send back Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja. 

Supported by Naseem Shah (3/36) and Haris Rauf (3/58), Pakistan bowled out India for 266 in 48.5 overs despite fighting knocks from Ishan Kishan (82) and Hardik Pandya (87). Just as the game promised a thrilling chase, heavy rain intervened, washing out the contest and leaving both teams to share the points in the high-voltage Group A encounter.