The Asia Cup is a premier men’s international cricket tournament organised by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). First held in 1984 in Sharjah, it remains the only continental championship in cricket. The tournament features top Asian teams — India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and occasionally associate nations.
Originally played in the ODI format, it has alternated between ODI and T20 since 2016, aligning with upcoming World Cups. India is the most successful team with eight titles, followed by Sri Lanka with six. Beyond rivalries, the Asia Cup showcases regional cricketing talent and strengthens ties among Asian cricket nations. The Asia Cup 2025 is going to start next month (September) and once again the Indian team is considered as the favourites but the big question is whether Suryakumar Yadav will be able to become the sixth Indian captain to lift the Asia Cup.
Here is the list of the Indian cricketers who have won the Asia Cup Trophies as a captain:
1. Sunil Gavaskar:
Sunil Gavaskar, one of the greatest Test batsmen of India, served as the inaugural Asia Cup captain in 1984. Under his leadership, India claimed the first ever Asia Cup in Sharjah by defeating Pakistan by 54 runs. The tournament was a round-robin format with only three teams — India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and Sunil Gavaskar’s side topped the table to lift the trophy. Though Gavaskar’s captaincy in limited-overs cricket was brief, this milestone made him the first Indian skipper to clinch the continental trophy.
2. Dilip Vengsarkar:
A stalwart of Indian batting in the 1980s, Dilip Vengsarkar captained India to the Asia Cup glory in 1988. Under his stewardship, India won that edition, his lone Asia Cup leadership stint, earning him a unique spot on the list. While his overall captaincy tenure was turbulent, involving leadership challenges and eventually losing the post, this victory remains a key highlight of his career.
3. Mohammad Azharuddin:
Mohammad Azharuddin was India’s captain during the early 1990s and successfully led them to Asia Cup victories in 1991 and 1995, both ODIs. Notably, in the 1995 final at Sharjah, he scored an unbeaten 90 and forged an unbroken 175-run partnership with Navjot Singh Sidhu to chase down the target with ease, delivering India their fourth consecutive Asia Cup title. His captaincy thus earned him two Asia Cup trophies, matching only one other skipper in this regard.
4. MS Dhoni:
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, one of India’s most iconic captains, led the team to Asia Cup titles in 2010 and 2016. In the 2010 final in Dambulla, India defeated Sri Lanka by 81 runs under his leadership. Six years later, in a T20-format Asia Cup final played in Mirpur, Dhoni’s India again emerged victorious, beating Bangladesh by eight wickets (albeit in a rain-shortened match) to lift their sixth Asia Cup title.
MS Dhoni remains the only Indian captain with two Asia Cup wins in both ODI and T20 formats.
5. Rohit Sharma
The current era’s leading limited-overs captain, Rohit Sharma has twice led India to Asia Cup success, in 2018 (ODI) and 2023 (ODI). In 2018, as a stand-in captain, he guided India to a dramatic win over Bangladesh in the final, finishing the tournament undefeated. In the 2023 final in Colombo, India demolished Sri Lanka, bowling them out for just 50 and chasing the target in 6.1 overs under Rohit’s calm leadership, earning his second Asia Cup title.
Rohit Sharma has thus joined the elite group, alongside MS Dhoni and Mohammad Azharuddin, as a multiple Asia Cup-winning captain.
