From Gavaskar to Rohit, the leaders who defined Asia’s biggest stage
The countdown to the Asia Cup 2025 has started. The tournament, set to take place in the UAE from September 9 to 28, will see Suryakumar Yadav take on the captaincy for India for the first time in a multi-nation event. He will be joined by fellow debutants Charith Asalanka, Salman Ali Agha, and Litton Das, all of whom will feel the pressure of expectation in one of cricket’s most demanding arenas.
However, before the new faces assume leadership, it is worth reflecting on the players who made the Asia Cup their personal domain. Despite its changing formats — switching between ODI and T20 — the tournament has been a pressure-cooker where captains are judged not only on tactics but also on temperament. And history demonstrates a clear hierarchy of leadership.
When the Asia Cup was inaugurated in 1984, Sunil Gavaskar became its first victorious captain. His Indian team defeated both PAK and Sri Lanka in Sharjah, setting a precedent for calm, composed leadership. Four years later, Dilip Vengsarkar led India to another triumph, this time in Bangladesh, strengthening the impression that India had an early grip on the competition.
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Sri Lanka soon challenged this dominance. Duleep Mendis guided the islanders to victory in 1986 at home, claiming their first Asia Cup title. These early years focused on establishing benchmarks: India with structure and discipline, Sri Lanka with flair and ambition.
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The 1990s belonged to two men. Mohammed Azharuddin led India to consecutive titles in 1990 and 1995; his steady captaincy and ability to inspire confidence in big matches secured his place in Asia Cup history.
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However, the decade also marked the rise of Sri Lanka under Arjuna Ranatunga. In 1997, Ranatunga’s astute leadership — combining tactical sharpness with street-smart insight — brought home the title, foreshadowing the fearless cricket that would secure their victory in the 1996 World Cup.
PAK’s history with the Asia Cup is more sporadic. Moin Khan's 2000 triumph in Bangladesh gave them their first title, and Misbah-ul-Haq added another in 2012, holding his nerve in a final against the hosts.
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Yet with only two trophies in 41 years, PAK’s captains have often flattered to deceive when the pressure has been at its most suffocating.
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If the Asia Cup is a stage for cool heads, MS Dhoni's record needs no embellishment. He lifted the ODI trophy in 2010 in Sri Lanka, before returning to claim the inaugural T20 Asia Cup in 2016 in Bangladesh.
He remains the only captain to win the competition in both formats, his unmatched composure in tense run chases and his trust in spinners leaving an indelible mark.
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Rohit Sharma, initially a stopgap leader in 2018 when Virat Kohli was rested, turned that chance into triumph. He led a young team to victory in the UAE, anchoring the batting with an unbeaten 111 against PAK and a crucial 48 in the final against Bangladesh.
Five years on, in 2023, he repeated his success by defeating Sri Lanka by 10 wickets in the Colombo final. With two titles, Rohit ranks alongside Azharuddin as India’s most successful ODI Asia Cup captain.
Sri Lanka’s proud legacy in the Asia Cup was revitalised under Dasun Shanaka in 2022, when they surged to the T20 title in the UAE despite being written off at the start.
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It was a reminder that leadership is often about inspiring belief as much as scoring runs or taking wickets. Shanaka’s successors, beginning with Charith Asalanka this year, will need to follow that example.
Numbers tell part of the story. India has won eight Asia Cup titles under five different captains. Rohit Sharma and Azharuddin top the ODI charts with two each. MS Dhoni’s distinction lies in bridging both formats, while Ranatunga and Shanaka left cultural imprints that went beyond statistics.
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What unites them is an ability to thrive when tensions are at their peak — the skill of staying calm in a storm. For Asia’s newest captains in 2025, that remains the benchmark.
