Asia is not a cricket team but a continent that includes several countries, each with its own cricket team. It is quite obvious that cricket is a popular sport in many Asian countries, and they compete individually on the international stage. Nevertheless, there have been instances where a team representing the Asian continent has played in various competitions. For example, Asia XI.
It is none other than a composite team consisting of players from various Asian countries. For the record, the Asia XI often plays in exhibition matches or series against other representative teams. It’s important to differentiate between teams representing individual countries like India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and others, and composite teams like Asia XI, which bring together cricketers from across the continent for specific events.
Not many are aware of the fact that the ACC Asian XI cricket team took part in the World Cricket Tsunami Appeal and Afro-Asia Cup. For the unversed, Asia XI and the Rest of the World XI locked horns with each other in a one-match series in the year 2000, as part of 1999/00 ICC Cricket Week. As many as 12 Indians represented the Asian XI and in this article, we will be discussing the three big names that represented India and Asia.
1. MS Dhoni (India & Asia XI)
Former Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni is one of the big names who represented Team India and Asia in his cricketing venture. One of his notable performances came against Africa XI in the Afro-Asia Cup wherein he thumped a magnificent 139 off 97 balls, eclipsing a flurry of 15 fours and 5 hits over the fence. His innings powered Asia XI to 331/8. Africa XI put up some fight but lost the game by 13 runs.
2. Sachin Tendulkar (India & Asia XI)
Sachin Tendulkar is the only Indian who made three appearances for Asia XI. He represented the Asian XI in a Tsunami Appeal match, 1999/00 ICC Cricket Week and the 2007 Afro-Asia Cup. His best performance came against “Rest of the World” as part of the 1999/00 ICC Cricket Week, wherein he scored 80 off 77 balls, which came in a winning cause. Batting first, Asia XI posted 320/9 in their quota of 50 overs. Asia XI pulled off the ropes from the jaws of defeat as they won the game by 1 run.
3. Sourav Ganguly (India & Asia XI)
Sourav Ganguly is one of the few Indians who made two appearances for Asia XI. The former Indian skipper’s appearance for Asia XI came in the 2007 Afro-Asia Cup and a Tsunami Appeal match. Sourav Ganguly played under Wasim Akram’s captaincy in the Afro-Asia Cup match against ICC World XI wherein Asia XI won the game by 1 run. Sourav Ganguly once led Asia XI in a Tsunami Appeal match against ICC World XI. Talking about the game, ICC World XI posted 344/8 in 50 overs. In reply, Asia XI could garner 232 and lost the game by 112 runs.