Asia Cup T20: The Elite Club of Centurions

he Asia Cup 2025 is all set to begin on September 9, marking the 17th edition of the tournament. Like the 2016 and 2022 editions, this year’s event will also be played in the T20 format.

The Asia Cup 2025 is all set to begin on September 9, marking the 17th edition of the tournament. Like the 2016 and 2022 editions, this year’s event will also be played in the T20 format. India lifted the trophy in 2016, while Sri Lanka emerged as champions in 2022. Scoring a century in T20 Internationals is a rare and challenging feat due to the limited number of balls faced and the high-pressure nature of the format. Interestingly, in the two previous T20 editions of the Asia Cup, fans witnessed only one century in each edition, making it just two centuries in the entire history of Asia Cup T20s.

1. Babar Hayat (Hong Kong) vs Oman Asia Cup 2016, Qualifier Match

In the first-ever T20 edition of the Asia Cup, Babar Hayat from Hong Kong made history by becoming the first player to score a century in the tournament’s T20 format. Before the main round-robin stage, a six-match qualifying round was held. In Match 2 of the qualifiers, Hong Kong took on Oman, who set a formidable target of 180/5 in their 20 overs. Babar Hayat responded with an electrifying innings of 122 runs from just 60 balls, hitting 9 fours and 7 sixes. Despite his heroics, a lack of support from the other end led to Hong Kong falling short by just 5 runs.

That year, Hong Kong lost all three of their qualifier matches (vs Oman, UAE, and Afghanistan), but Babar Hayat stood out, scoring 194 runs in 3 innings at an impressive average of 64.66. He is set to return for the Asia Cup 2025, and Hong Kong will hope he can replicate—or even surpass—his earlier performance in the upcoming cricket matches of the tournament. For this edition, Hong Kong finds itself in Group B alongside Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh.

2. Virat Kohli (India) vs Afghanistan Asia Cup 2022, Super 4 Match

Arguably the greatest batsman of his generation, Virat Kohli delivered one of his finest T20 performances in the 2022 Asia Cup, smashing the second century in Asia Cup T20 history. Facing Afghanistan, Kohli powered his way to 122 runs off 61 balls, laced with 12 fours and 6 sixes. Thanks to his brilliance, India posted a massive 212/2 in their 20 overs. Afghanistan, in reply, managed only 111/8, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar starring with the ball—claiming 5 wickets for just 4 runs in his 4-over spell. This match was particularly special, as it also marked Virat Kohli’s first century in T20 Internationals. However, Kohli has since retired from T20Is and will not be part of the Asia Cup 2025.