Asia Cup Captains Through the Years

Suryakumar Yadav, widely known as SKY, was born on September 14, 1990, in Mumbai. He made his T20I debut against England in March 2021 and announced himself with a six off his first delivery. By September 2022, he had climbed to the top of the ICC T20 batting rankings, staying there until mid-2024. Twice named ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year (2022, 2023), he also featured in the ICC Team of the Year both times. His record includes guiding India to the Asia Cup in 2023 and the T20 World Cup in 2024. In the IPL, he tasted success with the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2014 and the Mumbai Indians in 2019 and 2020. During IPL 2025, he finished as Mumbai’s top scorer with 640 runs in 14 games. As India’s captain in the shortest format, he has 18 wins from 22 matches. In May 2025, he also drew attention with a heartfelt speech at his father’s retirement ceremony at BARC.

Born on December 23, 1993, in Lahore, Salman Ali Agha made his T20I debut in 2022 against England. By 2023, he had already played decisive roles in series victories across Asia. A year later, he was part of Pakistan’s T20 World Cup squad, contributing steadily with both bat and ball. In 2025, he took over as Pakistan’s captain after Babar Azam, marking a new era for the team. Known for adjusting tactics quickly, he often uses spin-based strategies to unsettle opponents. In the Pakistan Super League, he represents Lahore Qalandars as a reliable middle-order player. His mission is to restore Pakistan’s place as the leading force in Asian cricket.

Charith Asalanka was born on June 29, 1997, in Elpitiya. Since his T20I debut in 2021, he has developed into a dependable middle-order batsman. At the 2021 T20 World Cup, he was Sri Lanka’s top scorer with 231 runs. His breakthrough came in 2022 when he played a vital part in Sri Lanka’s Asia Cup win. Two years later, he served as vice-captain and occasionally stepped in for Kusal Mendis. Appointed skipper for the 2025 Asia Cup, he now leads the national side while also playing domestic cricket for Jaffna Kings in the Lanka Premier League.

Litton Das, born on October 13, 1994, in Dinajpur, has been a fixture in Bangladesh cricket since his 2015 debut. He holds the national record for the highest individual ODI score, an innings of 176. In January 2025, he struck his maiden T20 century for Dhaka Capitals in the BPL, adding a record partnership of 241 runs. His consistency extended into the longest format, where in 2022 he achieved the country’s best-ever Test batting ranking at No. 12. In December 2024, he led Bangladesh to a 3–0 away sweep against West Indies. By May 2025, he became the T20I captain, and within months, he had already surpassed Shakib Al Hasan in several batting milestones.

Rashid Khan, born on September 20, 1998, in Nangarhar, debuted for Afghanistan in 2015 and quickly became a global star. In 2017, he reached the No. 1 spot in ICC T20I bowling rankings, becoming the youngest ever to do so. A year later, he captained Afghanistan in T20Is. Known for his charisma as much as his skill, Rashid also shone in franchise cricket, starring for Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans, with whom he won the 2022 IPL. He was named ICC Associate Cricketer of the Year in 2017 and remains Afghanistan’s central figure, combining leadership with match-winning ability.

Born on March 5, 1989, in Punjab, India, Jatinder Singh moved to Oman, where he became a pillar of their batting lineup. Since his debut in 2011, he has scored more than 2,000 international runs. His most famous innings came at the 2016 T20 World Cup, when he guided Oman to a memorable win over Ireland. Known for calm decision-making and steady batting, he also captains Muscat CT in the Oman Premier League. His experience has made him the key figure in Omani cricket.

Muhammad Waseem, born on February 12, 1994, in Pakistan, represents the UAE and has been their main batsman since debuting in 2021. In 2022, he produced a record innings of 112 against Ireland. A year later, he was named captain, and in 2024, he guided the UAE to a historic win over Afghanistan. Now leading the side again for the Asia Cup 2025, he also features in the ILT20, playing for Dubai Capitals. His leadership and batting are central to the UAE’s cricketing ambitions.  

Yasim Murtaza, born on December 4, 1990, in Kashmir, Pakistan, later joined Hong Kong’s cricket setup. He debuted in 2022 at the age of 31 and quickly became a key figure. A left-handed batsman and left-arm spinner, he showed his value with a 60-run knock and two wickets against the UAE in the same year. In 2024, he took over as captain of Hong Kong, where his steady approach and all-round skills guide a young squad toward higher goals.