The Asia Cup will return with its 2025 edition on September 9 and Indiawill enter the tournament as reigning champions. Suryakumar Yadav will be handling the reins of the side and his responsibility will be to take
India’s dominance ahead in the tournament. 16 editions of the continental competition have been held thus far and India are the most successful with eight title victories. Noting India’s rich legacy in the Asia Cup, Suryakumar will look to lead the team from the front and make it to the list of captains who won the titles in the continental competition.
With the 17th edition of the Asia Cup all set to start from September 9, it’s essential for Team India supporters to know the captains who made the side the most successful in the tournament. It was their diligence and perseverance that helped India emerge as the biggest Asian giants in terms of title success. As the Asia Cup 2025 is only a couple of weeks away, let’s remember the five Indian captains who guided the Men In Blue to trophy triumphs in the distinguished competition.
Here are five Indian cricketers who won Asia Cup as Captain
5. Sunil Gavaskar (1984)
In 1984, when the maiden installment of the Asia Cup was played, captain Sunil Gavaskar guided India to the title with victories against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Among the three teams, each side played two games and India tasted success with two off two wins. Surinder Khanna was the most impactful batter for India, notching up 107 runs with a couple of fifties. Ravi Shastri also chipped in with four wickets in two contests.
4. Dilip Vengsarkar (1988)
In 1988, India won their second Asia Cup title under Dilip Vengsarkar. During the tournament, India beat Pakistan and Bangladesh in the league round while in the final played in Dhaka, Vengsarkar and his men thrashed Sri Lanka by six wickets. Navjot Singh Sidhu played a crucial role in the triumph as he scored 179 runs in four matches while Kapil Dev also scalped six wickets in four outings.
3. Mohammad Azharuddin (1990-91 and 1995)
Mohammad Azharuddin won two Asia Cup titles for India during his vast career. In the 1990-91 series, India beat Sri Lanka by seven in the final played at the iconic Eden Gardens. Similarly, in 1995, Azharuddin proved his leadership skills again in the Asia Cup. This time, Sri Lanka received hammering from India again in the final played in Sharjah. Azharuddin & Co. chased down the target of 231 and claimed an eight-wicket win in the final.
2. MS Dhoni (2010 and 2016)
In 2010, MS Dhoni ended India’s thirst for the Asia Cup trophy by helping the side win the 2010 installment of the illustrious tournament. During the competition, India defeated Pakistan and Bangladesh in the league round while in the final, hosts Sri Lanka were pummelled by the Men In Blue by 81 runs. In 2016, India lifted the Asia Cup trophy again under Dhoni’s leadership and this time, hosts Bangladesh became the victim in the final played at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium.
1. Rohit Sharma (2018 and 2023)
In 2018, Rohit Sharma was given the leadership responsibility in the Asia Cup 2018 as regular skipper Virat Kohli took a break from the sport. Handling the captaincy mantle, the veteran delivered moments of joy to Team India supporters. During their successful campaign, India outclassed Pakistan and Bangladesh twice. The Bangla side got defeated by three wickets in the final held in Dubai.
Under Rohit’s captaincy, India won the Asia Cup again in 2023. In the final, co-hosts Sri Lanka faced humiliation as they failed to counter Mohammed Siraj, who clinched a six-wicket haul in his seven-over spell and helped India bundle out Sri Lanka on 50 in 15.2 overs. India won the game by 10 wickets and became the Asian champions for the eighth time.
