The ICC Six-Nation Tri and Multi-Team Tournaments: A Guide
ICC multi-team tournaments including tri-series, four-nation and six-team events have been a regular part of the international cricket calendar. This guide explains how these tournaments work and their role in cricket.
Beyond the major ICC World Cup events (World Cup, Champions Trophy, World Test Championship, T20 World Cup), international cricket features a variety of multi-team tournaments — bilateral series, tri-series (three nations), four-nation tournaments and occasionally larger regional competitions. These events serve different functions: providing extra competitive cricket in the lead-up to major tournaments, giving smaller nations international match exposure, and filling commercial broadcast windows. The Asia Cup (held since 1984) is the most prominent regional multi-team tournament, typically featuring India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and one qualifier.
The Asia Cup
The Asia Cup is Asia's premier multi-team cricket tournament, hosted by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). It is held in various formats — ODI or T20 — typically every two years, alternating between Asian countries. India-Pakistan matches in the Asia Cup are among the most-watched sporting events in the world, regularly drawing television audiences of 100 million+ across the region. The format uses a group stage (typically two groups of 3) with the top teams advancing to a Super 4 round, then a final. India and Sri Lanka have won the Asia Cup the most times.
Tri-Series and Other Formats
Tri-series — three nations playing round-robin matches before a final between the top two — have been common in ODI cricket. Australia, India and various other nations hosted tri-series throughout the 1980s-2000s. The Benson & Hedges World Series Cup (Australia's international summer tri-series) was a particularly prestigious tri-series format. In the modern era, tri-series are less common as bilateral series dominate the international calendar, but they appear occasionally as warm-up tournaments before World Cups or as standalone commercial events.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Asia Cup in cricket?
The Asia Cup is a multi-team tournament featuring the major Asian cricket nations — India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and a qualifier. It is held every two years by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and alternates between ODI and T20 formats. India and Sri Lanka have won it the most times.
What is a tri-series in cricket?
A tri-series is a cricket tournament featuring three national teams. Each team plays the other two multiple times in a round-robin format, and the top two teams play a final. Tri-series were very common in ODI cricket during the 1980s-2000s and are still held occasionally as warm-up events before major ICC tournaments.
How often is the Asia Cup held?
The Asia Cup is held approximately every two years, though the schedule has been affected by political tensions (India-Pakistan issues), COVID-19 and ICC event scheduling. The competition alternates between ODI and T20 formats, and hosting rights rotate among the member nations of the Asian Cricket Council.