India is the most successful team with eight Asia Cup titles. (Sportsboom)
One of the most significant cricket competitions in the world is the Asia Cup. It is still the sole continental championship in the sport, having started in Sharjah in 1984. India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan are among the top Asian teams that compete for regional honors. In order to accommodate future World Cups, the format has switched between ODI and T20 since 2016.
India is the most successful team with eight Asia Cup titles. Sri Lanka follows with six. The next edition, Asia Cup 2025, begins in September. India enters as the favourites, but all eyes are on Suryakumar Yadav and whether he can become the sixth Indian captain to lift the trophy.
Sunil Gavaskar led India to victory in the first Asia Cup in 1984. The tournament had only three teams — India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Gavaskar’s side topped the table after beating Pakistan by 54 runs. This win made him the first Indian captain to bring home the continental trophy.
Dilip Vengsarkar led India to yet another Asia Cup victory in 1988. Even if he had difficulties during his entire captaincy tenure, this triumph is nevertheless a memorable moment in his career.
In 1991 and 1995, Mohammad Azharuddin raised the trophy twice. He scored an undefeated 90 in the 1995 Sharjah final, which stands out as his most remarkable performance. He sealed the victory with a 175-run partnership with Navjot Singh Sidhu.
Azharuddin’s leadership made India the dominant team in Asia during that era.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, one of India’s most celebrated captains, also won two Asia Cups. In 2010, India defeated Sri Lanka in the ODI final at Dambulla. In 2016, Dhoni lifted the trophy again — this time in the T20 format in Mirpur, beating Bangladesh in a rain-shortened final. Dhoni remains the only Indian captain to win in both formats.
Rohit Sharma has also lifted the Asia Cup twice. In 2018, he was the stand-in captain and took India to victory over Bangladesh in a close final. In 2023, under his captaincy, India crushed Sri Lanka in Colombo by bowling them out for just 50 runs and chasing the target in 6.1 overs. With these wins, Rohit joined Azharuddin and Dhoni as a multiple Asia Cup-winning captain.
This year's major story is whether Suryakumar Yadav can join this elite group, as India looks to win the Asia Cup for the seventh time. He will be recognized as one of India's Asia Cup-winning captains, along with Gavaskar, Vengsarkar, Azharuddin, Dhoni, and Rohit, if he does.
Fans are excited to see if Suryalumar's leadership will lead India to another continental title as the countdown gets underway.
MUST READ: IPL 2008 Slapgate: Lalit Modi Releases Harbhajan-Sreesanth Video After 17 Years | Watch
