The Asia Cup history so far has been marked by several fantastic contributions from several players to put their team in front on crucial occasions. The vital performances from batsmen are often talked about years later which helped their side clinch victor out of the jaws of defeat.
What is often forgotten is the fact that the bowlers too have an equally important role to play in the team’s success when it comes to tournaments as big as the Asia Cup and others of this kind. Several bowlers with their incredibly good spells have turned matches on its head for their team single-handedly.
A single good spell of bowling or even a crucial wicket being picked on time can be good enough for a side to win a match that seemed impossible at one stage. Several Bowlers have provided the fans of their side with moments to remember when they delivered unimaginable performances to get their team out of a hole. It’s time for us to discuss the top 3 wicket-takers in the history of the Asia Cup to date.
3. Ajantha Mendis (24 Wickets)
Sri Lanka’s mystery spinner, Ajantha Mendis sits third in the list of leading wicket-takers in Asia Cup history so far. The right-arm spinner has been absolutely sensational for his side in the tournament with several match-winning performances with the ball during his career.
In the period between 2008 and 2014 wherein he featured in the team, Mendis picked a fabulous 26 wickets in just 8 matches. The average was just above 10 and the economy was a mere 3.98. He also picked up two 4-wicket and 5-wicket hauls each. His magical bowling spells helped his team win matches out of nowhere on several occasions.
2. Muttiah Muralitharan (30 wickets)
The next name on the list is also that of a Sri Lankan spinner, Muttiah Muralitharan. The legendary spinner whose career reached its greatest heights in the period between 1995 and 2011 played 24 Asia Cup matches for his side and picked up a total of 30 wickets meanwhile. The bowling average was 28.83, the economy being just 3.75. Murali had the best bowling figures of 5/31 in the Asia Cup matches that he featured in for Sri Lanka. He also bagged a 5-wicket and a 4-wicket haul in his Asia Cup career.
1. Lasith Malinga (33 wickets)
The top wicket-taker in the history of the Asia Cup so far is none other than another Sri Lankan legend, Lasith Malinga. The right-arm pacer whose career spanned the time period from 2004-2018 played in 15 Asia Cup matches for his side and picked up a total of 33 wickets with an average of 18.84. His best bowling figures were that of 5/34. He maintained a remarkable economy of just 4.70 and also picked up two 5-wicket and three 4-wicket hauls in Asia Cup for Sri Lanka thereby helping them to claim the title twice.
Also Read:- Top 3 most Memorable India vs Bangladesh Matches in the history of Asia Cup