Bangladesh as host, not as contender
The third Asia Cup went to Bangladesh, a country that had not yet played a Test match and would not do so for another twelve years. The seven matches played between 27 October and 4 November 1988, six of them at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka and two at the M. A. Aziz Stadium in Chittagong, were the first List A fixtures ever staged there. Bangladesh took part as the region's leading associate and were badly outmatched, losing all three games and never passing 120.
The competition itself was the first Asia Cup with a four-team field and the first in which all four of the region's Test and associate sides played each other. Matches were 45 overs a side.
Sri Lanka's group, India's final
Sri Lanka were the best team of the round-robin by some distance. They chased down Pakistan's 194 on the opening day, Roshan Mahanama making 55; they beat India by 17 runs on 29 October after Aravinda de Silva's 69 from 63 balls carried them to 271 for 6; and they dismantled Bangladesh by nine wickets. Three wins from three, and a place in the final that looked well earned.
India's route was less convincing. They beat Bangladesh easily enough at Chittagong, with Navjot Sidhu unbeaten on 50, lost to Sri Lanka, and then met Pakistan in Dhaka needing a win. Arshad Ayub, an off-spinner playing the best cricket of his short international career, took 5 for 21 as Pakistan were bowled out for 142. Mohinder Amarnath then batted through for 74 not out from 122 balls and India won by four wickets with more than four overs left. Pakistan, who had earlier put 284 for 3 on the board against Bangladesh with Ijaz Ahmed making 124 not out from 87 balls, went out.
The final
Sri Lanka batted first on 4 November and were bowled out for 176. Duleep Mendis top-scored with 36 from 36 balls. The most unusual contribution was Krishnamachari Srikkanth's: an opening batsman who bowled occasional off-breaks, he was given the ball and took 3 for 12 in 3.2 overs.
India's chase was a Sidhu innings. He made 76 from 87 balls, his third half-century of the tournament, and India got home with almost eight overs in hand. Sidhu was man of the match and player of the tournament. It was India's second Asia Cup and the start of a run of three in a row, though the next two would both come with an absent team.