India, Sept. 13 -- The Asia Cup was introduced a year after India's 1983 World Cup triumph. Team India was beginning to carve their own legacy in international cricket after the big victory in 1983, while Pakistan and other Asian teams sought to establish their credentials on the global stage. The biggest catch of the tournament was still India vs Pakistan way back in 1984, as the two teams squared off in Sharjah, where the Men in Blue emerged victorious. The tournament intensified the longstanding rivalry between the two nations, which has also been shaped by decades of political and cross-border tensions.

In the first two editions of the continental tournament in the 1980s, India stamped its authority over Pakistan by winning in back-t...