In the 1991 Asia Cup final, Kapil Dev quietly etched his name into the record books - and most of Eden Gardens didn't even notice
With the Asia Cup 2025 set to take place in the UAE from September 9 to 28, India enters as the defending champions, led by Suryakumar Yadav. Eight teams will contest for continental supremacy, with India and Pakistan again poised to lead the excitement.
However, to truly grasp the charm of the Asia Cup, one must reflect on its historic moments. Few are as intriguing - and as overlooked - as Kapil Dev’s hat-trick in the 1991 final at Eden Gardens, when 90,000 fans watched history unfold amid confusion.
Credit: ctfassets
The 1990-91 edition had already been affected by PAK’s withdrawal due to political tensions. That left India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. India defeated Bangladesh in Chandigarh, faced a stumble against Sri Lanka in Cuttack, but both teams qualified for the final in Calcutta.
Put in to bat, Sri Lanka began brightly. Charith Senanayake and Hashan Tillakaratne added 48, Aravinda de Silva made a breezy 26, and skipper Arjuna Ranatunga steadied things with 49. At 175 for 4, Sri Lanka looked set for 230-plus.
Then came Kapil Dev.
Credit: crictv4u
During an intense spell, Roshan Mahanama was dismissed on the 39.6th over when he nicked Kapil outside off-stump, with Kiran More completing the catch—seemingly a routine dismissal.
Shortly after, following Ranatunga’s run out in the next over, a young Sanath Jayasuriya, who was just nine ODIs into his career and averaging only 10, came in as the new batter.
Kapil’s first ball (41.1) to Jayasuriya was short, and the batter mistimed a pull, ballooning to Sanjay Manjrekar at mid-wicket. Almost immediately, Rumesh Ratnayake, who barely took his guard, faced Kapil’s sharp in-dipper (41.2) and was trapped lbw, resulting in three wickets falling in just three balls across two overs.
Eden Gardens, however, stayed puzzled. Most in the stands thought the “hat-trick ball” was still to come. Only when the scoreboard lit up — “Congratulations Kapil Dev – Hat-Trick” — did the deafening applause begin.
Kapil finished with 9-0-31-4, dismantling Sri Lanka’s middle order. From 175 for 4, they slumped to 181 for 8 before scrambling to 204 for 9 in their 45 overs.
Credit: Cricket.com
Chasing 205, India wobbled at 30 for 2. Then Sachin Tendulkar (53 off 65) and Sanjay Manjrekar (75 off 95) added 91 runs to anchor the reply. Mohammad Azharuddin then produced a captain’s cameo — an unbeaten 54 from 39 balls, with four boundaries and a six — to complete the chase in 42.1 overs. India won by seven wickets, with 17 balls remaining, claiming their third Asia Cup title.
Kapil Dev’s hat-trick marked a historic achievement: the fifth in ODI history, the second by an Indian, and a rare feat—joining Chetan Sharma as the only cricketer to both score an ODI hundred and take a hat-trick. His performance demonstrated all-round greatness at a critical moment.
Despite these exceptional milestones, Kapil Dev's accomplishment remained in the shadows—eclipsed by Azharuddin's stylish finish and the confusion in the stands. Such moments remind us that genuine greatness is not always fully recognized in its time.
With the 2025 Asia Cup approaching, fans will seek new heroes in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Yet, looking back, Kapil’s hat-trick at Eden Gardens remains a reminder that even in front of 90,000 people, history can be missed — unless you know where to look.
