The Asia Cup 2025 T20 is just around the corner, beginning on September 9, and the excitement across the subcontinent is palpable. But as fans gear up for the high-octane clashes, there’s a statistic that Pakistan would rather forget they hold the unwanted record for conceding the most extras in Asia Cup T20 history.
Every Run Matters Extras Can Change a Match
In T20 cricket, every single run is gold dust. A boundary can flip momentum, but so too can a sloppy wide or a needless no ball. Bowlers who lose their discipline often hand over precious runs, and in tightly fought Asia Cup battles, those extras can mean the difference between glory and heartbreak.
And that’s exactly where Pakistan’s bowling attack has faltered on more than one occasion.
18 Extras Against Hong Kong A Record to Forget
The most glaring example came in the Asia Cup 2022, when Pakistan conceded a staggering 18 extras against Hong Kong 17 of them wides, plus a no ball. It remains the highest tally of extras ever conceded by a team in a single Asia Cup T20 innings.
Unfortunately for Pakistan, this wasn’t an isolated incident. They also occupy second place on the unwanted chart, giving away 17 extras (15 wides, one no ball) against Sri Lanka in the same edition. Go back further to 2016, and Pakistan’s bowlers appear yet again, conceding 15 extras against India, placing them fifth on the list.
For a nation known for producing some of the most lethal fast bowlers in cricketing history, such statistics sting all the more.
India Also Feature in the Top 10
But Pakistan aren’t alone in the extras club. India too have had their moments of waywardness. In fact, Indian bowlers have conceded 14 extras on three different occasions in Asia Cup T20 history. Once against Pakistan in 2016, and twice in 2022, highlighting that even the most disciplined units can crack under pressure.
A Lesson Before Asia Cup 2025
As the third edition of the Asia Cup in T20 format approaches, teams will be keenly aware of how vital discipline is. With India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Hong Kong already announcing their squads and Sri Lanka, UAE, and Oman yet to reveal theirs bowlers will know that avoiding unnecessary extras could well be the fine line between victory and defeat.
Because in cricket’s shortest format, a single wide can be as costly as a six.
