Pakistan and Afghanistan captains (Source:@CallMeSheri1_/X.com)
The Asia Cup 2025 is all set to start from September 9, and this time around, eight teams will fight for the prestigious trophy. India are the firm favourites given their dominance over other teams in the tournament, and they would like to assert it once the competition starts.
However, other teams, especially Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, also have plenty of match-winners in their team, and they would pose a challenge to India. The captains of these teams would have to lead from the front, though, and let's see which captain will be the biggest threat to Suryakumar Yadav and his boys.
Salman Ali Agha
Salman Ali Agha took over as Pakistan's full-time T20I captain after the Champions Trophy 2025, and the team has done decently so far. It is a young team, and Agha has an important role to play in the middle order.
Criterion
Data
Innings
16
Runs
376
Average
31.33
Strike-Rate
115.69
He has the ability to perform under pressure and has shown glimpses of it in his short T20I career. However, his overall career strike-rate is below 120, and thus, he is not a player who can be considered as the one to take the game away from India in the shortest format. If he has to make an impact against India, the batter would have to be more aggressive in his approach in the middle overs.
Charith Asalanka
The Sri Lankan captain has an excellent ODI record, but his T20I performances have not been as impactful. Like Salman Ali Agha, Charith Asalanka will bat in the middle order and has shown the ability to bail his team out of difficult positions.
Criterion
Data
Innings
15
Runs
274
Average
22.83
Strike-Rate
147.31
He is an important player in the fragile Sri Lankan batting line-up and can tackle the spin threat of India in the middle overs with his clever batting. He is not a power-hitter, though, but can mix aggression with caution when needed and could be a threat for India, especially if the conditions demand a 160-170 kind of score. Also, he can contribute with the ball if there is help for the spinners.
Litton Das has been one of the most talented cricketers in Bangladesh for a long time now, but has been blowing hot and cold throughout his career. As a captain too, he has been inconsistent but has played a few match-winning knocks as well.
Criterion
Data
Innings
16
Runs
289
Average
18.06
Strike-Rate
120.41
Also, when Litton gets going, he can be pretty hard to stop. He displayed that in the 2022 T20 World Cup against India, and thus can be a threat to India if he finds his mojo. His strike-rate against India in T20Is is also close to 150, which shows that he can be a real threat to Suryakumar Yadav and his boys.
Rashid Khan
The Afghanistan captain, Rashid Khan, is one of the finest T20 cricketers in the world. He has been dominant across the globe in franchise leagues and has an excellent record as an Afghanistan cricketer as well.
Criterion
Data
Innings
29
Wickets
48
Average
13.60
Economy
5.83
The cricketer also has a lot of experience bowling against Indian batters in IPL, and it might help him in the Asia Cup as well. Also, the bowler has 53 wickets in 33 T20Is in the UAE, which shows he has dominated in those conditions and thus could pose a threat to India as well.
Also, Rashid Khan can use the long handle to great effect when needed and therefore is a genuine match-winner in the format.
Conclusion:
Rashid Khan, with his dominant T20 record and world-class skills, is surely the biggest threat to India in comparison to other captains in the Asia Cup 2025. If we consider on the batting front, then Charith Asalanka looks a more well-rounded batter who can adapt himself to different conditions and situations.
Pakistan and Afghanistan captains (Source:@CallMeSheri1_/X.com)
