Leading a side at the international level isn&#8217;t an easy job to do. It comes with its own set of complications. The Asia Cup 2018 witnessed some great games of cricket. While a few encounters were completely one-sided, the remaining went down to the wire leaving everyone on the edge of their seats. These close games are very tricky ones for the team captains as a single wrong move from them could potentially change the result of the match.

Apart from <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/india/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>India</strong></a>, all the other teams went into the tournament with their regular skippers. The captains had a huge role to play right from making the correct bowling and fielding changes in crunch situations to the all-important and difficult DRS calls. Here is how all the six captains fared in the tournament.

1. Anshuman Rath | Hong Kong &#8211; 4/10

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-280084" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Anshuman-Rath.jpg" alt="Anshuman Rath" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-280084" class="wp-caption-text">Anshuman Rath of Hong Kong. (Photo by Nigel Roddis &#8211; IDI/IDI via Getty Images)</figcaption>

The 20-year-old Hong Kong skipper has had a great learning curve leading his team in the Asia Cup. His captaincy largely followed a static approach in the Qualifier tournament. He had his fixed set of five bowlers who did the job for him and well-defined roles for his batsmen. Although this worked out great in the preliminary rounds, the same approach against big teams wouldn&#8217;t have the exact impact.

Even though he had quite a few all-rounders available, Rath didn&#8217;t use them in the game against Pakistan. A part-timer, if given an over or two could have brought a crucial breakthrough. However, he was quick to realise the mistake and used his bowlers much more effectively against India restricting them to a below-par total.

2. Angelo Mathews | Sri Lanka &#8211; 4.5/10

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-273594" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Angelo-Mathews.jpg" alt="Angelo Mathews" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-273594" class="wp-caption-text">Angelo Mathews. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

This is possibly the worst Asia Cup ever for Sri Lanka. The side is taking too long with the transition period and injuries only dented their chances further in the tournament. <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/angelo-mathews-says-he-felt-betrayed-for-being-sacked-from-captaincy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Angelo Mathews</strong></a>, on a personal note, didn&#8217;t have a good time on the field either with the bat or the ball. The Asia Cup 2018 ended up being a nightmare for the experienced all-rounder.

His team was knocked out right in the first round. In the game against Bangladesh, his side was in a commanding position as the opposition was down to 1/2 right in the first over. But, he didn&#8217;t manage to keep the pressure going and let the game drift away. The case was similar in the Afghanistan match where he failed to build pressure on the new batsmen after the fall of two or three quick wickets.

3. Asghar Afghan | Afghanistan &#8211; 7.5/10

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-282986" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Asghar-Afghan-1.jpg" alt="Asghar Afghan" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-282986" class="wp-caption-text">Afghanistan captain Asghar Afghan. (Photo by Tharaka Basnayaka/NurPhoto via Getty Images)</figcaption>

Afghanistan had a dream run in the tournament but only if they had a tad bit of luck on their side. After getting through the first stage very comprehensively, they lost two games and tied one in the Super Four stage. These games very really close and could have gone either way.

Asghar was bang on with his captaincy and impressed one and all. The Afghan skipper made the right bowling and fielding changes and put some of the big guns under immense pressure. Although there was some criticism about him holding back <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/asia-cup-2018-rashid-khan-lauds-bhai-shikhar-dhawan-knock-pakistan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Rashid Khan</strong></a> a bit too much, he will only learn from the experiences and improvise. His captaincy played a crucial role in Afghanistan going the distance and he will cherish this for quite some time.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-281371" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Sarfraz-Ahmed-1.jpg" alt="Sarfraz Ahmed" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-281371" class="wp-caption-text">Sarfraz Ahmed. (Photo by ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images)</figcaption>

Pakistan&#8217;s performance in the tournament was quite disappointing. After starting off on a positive note against Hong Kong, the side kept losing its way as the tournament progressed. They lost both the games against arch-rivals India and were humiliated in the do-or-die encounter against Bangladesh.

<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/pakistan-skipper-sarfraz-ahmed-doesnt-want-hit-panic-button-just-yet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Sarfraz Ahmed</strong></a>&#8216;s captaincy has a lot to do with the side&#8217;s failure. He failed to extract the best out of his bowlers. Further, he made some questionable fielding changes leading to criticism. With him failing with the bat as well, there are already demands of sacking him as the side&#8217;s skipper.

5. Mashrafe Mortaza | Bangladesh &#8211; 8/10

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-283143" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Mashrafe-Mortaza-1.jpg" alt="Mashrafe Mortaza" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-283143" class="wp-caption-text">Mashrafe Mortaza. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Bangladesh had its own ups and downs in the Asia Cup 2018. They had a few injury woes even before the tournament begun. During its course, they lost their vital cogs in the form of Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan. But the skipper <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/asia-cup-2018-for-bangladesh-captain-mashrafe-mortaza-a-trophy-doesnt-decide-his-career/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mashrafe Mortaza</strong></a> managed to keep the team environment positive and went about quite calmly with his captaincy.

In fact, many wouldn&#8217;t have realised that he was the man at helm watching him on the field. Yet, he did really well to guide his side through to the final. With constant support from Mushfiqur Rahim, the veteran cherished the added responsibility and brought all his experience to the fore in difficult situations. In the final, his captaincy was great and with some aggressive field-settings, he subjected the Indian batsmen to some immense pressure.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-282415" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Rohit-Sharma-hundred.jpg" alt="Rohit Sharma" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-282415" class="wp-caption-text">Rohit Sharma. (Photo Source: ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images)</figcaption>

<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/rohit-sharma-in-the-relaxed-company-of-four-die-hard-asian-fans/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Rohit Sharma</strong></a> is a great leader and the success in the IPL is the testimony to the same. But he doesn&#8217;t have much experience leading the side at the international level. Hence, many were quite sceptical after he was announced the skipper at such a massive stage. Also, he had never led India in any of the major tournaments.

But, the 31-year-old responded beautifully to this big challenge. He led the side from the front with his batting and was extremely calm under pressure. The side did not lose a single game under him in the first round and Super Four stage. Especially, the composure that he showed in the Hong Kong game put up his temperament on display which was a delight to watch.

He was equally good in the final as well after Bangladesh got off to a dream start. With his captaincy, he played a major role in the oppositions&#8217; collapse.

<strong><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/aakash-chopra-post-retirement-plan-ms-dhoni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MS Dhoni</a> &#8211; 8/10</strong>

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-282743" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/MS-Dhoni-5.jpg" alt="MS Dhoni is back as captain" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-282743" class="wp-caption-text">MS Dhoni. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

MS Dhoni led the side in the match against Afghanistan in the absence of both Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan. All the players who were warming the bench were given an opportunity in the match and the legendary skipper didn&#8217;t back off playing with what was a relatively weak XI. Although the game ended up in a tie, MSD was at his usual best with his captaincy skills.

He also became the first Asian captain to lead his side in 200 ODIs. Afghanistan batted well and kept India under pressure thanks to their inexperienced bowling attack. But Dhoni&#8217;s calmness and clever bowling changes never allowed the opposition to run away with the game.

<p>Leading a side at the international level isn’t an easy job to do. It comes with its own set of complications. The Asia Cup 2018 witnessed some great games of cricket. While a few encounters were completely one-sided, the remaining went down to the wire leaving everyone on the edge of their seats. These close games are very tricky ones for the team captains as a single wrong move from them could potentially change the result of the match.</p>
<p>Apart from <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/india/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>India</strong></a>, all the other teams went into the tournament with their regular skippers. The captains had a huge role to play right from making the correct bowling and fielding changes in crunch situations to the all-important and difficult DRS calls. Here is how all the six captains fared in the tournament.</p>
<h3>Rating of the captains</h3>
<h3>1. Anshuman Rath | Hong Kong – 4/10</h3>
<figure id="attachment_280084" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-280084" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-280084" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Anshuman-Rath.jpg" alt="Anshuman Rath" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-280084" class="wp-caption-text">Anshuman Rath of Hong Kong. (Photo by Nigel Roddis – IDI/IDI via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>The 20-year-old Hong Kong skipper has had a great learning curve leading his team in the Asia Cup. His captaincy largely followed a static approach in the Qualifier tournament. He had his fixed set of five bowlers who did the job for him and well-defined roles for his batsmen. Although this worked out great in the preliminary rounds, the same approach against big teams wouldn’t have the exact impact.</p>
<p>Even though he had quite a few all-rounders available, Rath didn’t use them in the game against Pakistan. A part-timer, if given an over or two could have brought a crucial breakthrough. However, he was quick to realise the mistake and used his bowlers much more effectively against India restricting them to a below-par total.</p>
<h3>2. Angelo Mathews | Sri Lanka – 4.5/10</h3>
<figure id="attachment_273594" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-273594" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-273594" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Angelo-Mathews.jpg" alt="Angelo Mathews" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-273594" class="wp-caption-text">Angelo Mathews. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>This is possibly the worst Asia Cup ever for Sri Lanka. The side is taking too long with the transition period and injuries only dented their chances further in the tournament. <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/angelo-mathews-says-he-felt-betrayed-for-being-sacked-from-captaincy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Angelo Mathews</strong></a>, on a personal note, didn’t have a good time on the field either with the bat or the ball. The Asia Cup 2018 ended up being a nightmare for the experienced all-rounder.</p>
<p>His team was knocked out right in the first round. In the game against Bangladesh, his side was in a commanding position as the opposition was down to 1/2 right in the first over. But, he didn’t manage to keep the pressure going and let the game drift away. The case was similar in the Afghanistan match where he failed to build pressure on the new batsmen after the fall of two or three quick wickets.</p>
<h3>3. Asghar Afghan | Afghanistan – 7.5/10</h3>
<figure id="attachment_282986" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-282986" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-282986" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Asghar-Afghan-1.jpg" alt="Asghar Afghan" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-282986" class="wp-caption-text">Afghanistan captain Asghar Afghan. (Photo by Tharaka Basnayaka/NurPhoto via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Afghanistan had a dream run in the tournament but only if they had a tad bit of luck on their side. After getting through the first stage very comprehensively, they lost two games and tied one in the Super Four stage. These games very really close and could have gone either way.</p>
<p>Asghar was bang on with his captaincy and impressed one and all. The Afghan skipper made the right bowling and fielding changes and put some of the big guns under immense pressure. Although there was some criticism about him holding back <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/asia-cup-2018-rashid-khan-lauds-bhai-shikhar-dhawan-knock-pakistan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Rashid Khan</strong></a> a bit too much, he will only learn from the experiences and improvise. His captaincy played a crucial role in Afghanistan going the distance and he will cherish this for quite some time.</p>
<h3>4. Sarfraz Ahmed | Pakistan – 5/10</h3>
<figure id="attachment_281371" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-281371" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-281371" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Sarfraz-Ahmed-1.jpg" alt="Sarfraz Ahmed" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-281371" class="wp-caption-text">Sarfraz Ahmed. (Photo by ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Pakistan’s performance in the tournament was quite disappointing. After starting off on a positive note against Hong Kong, the side kept losing its way as the tournament progressed. They lost both the games against arch-rivals India and were humiliated in the do-or-die encounter against Bangladesh.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/pakistan-skipper-sarfraz-ahmed-doesnt-want-hit-panic-button-just-yet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Sarfraz Ahmed</strong></a>‘s captaincy has a lot to do with the side’s failure. He failed to extract the best out of his bowlers. Further, he made some questionable fielding changes leading to criticism. With him failing with the bat as well, there are already demands of sacking him as the side’s skipper.</p>
<h3>5. Mashrafe Mortaza | Bangladesh – 8/10</h3>
<figure id="attachment_283143" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-283143" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-283143" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Mashrafe-Mortaza-1.jpg" alt="Mashrafe Mortaza" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-283143" class="wp-caption-text">Mashrafe Mortaza. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Bangladesh had its own ups and downs in the Asia Cup 2018. They had a few injury woes even before the tournament begun. During its course, they lost their vital cogs in the form of Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan. But the skipper <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/asia-cup-2018-for-bangladesh-captain-mashrafe-mortaza-a-trophy-doesnt-decide-his-career/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mashrafe Mortaza</strong></a> managed to keep the team environment positive and went about quite calmly with his captaincy.</p>
<p>In fact, many wouldn’t have realised that he was the man at helm watching him on the field. Yet, he did really well to guide his side through to the final. With constant support from Mushfiqur Rahim, the veteran cherished the added responsibility and brought all his experience to the fore in difficult situations. In the final, his captaincy was great and with some aggressive field-settings, he subjected the Indian batsmen to some immense pressure.</p>
<h3>6. Rohit Sharma | India – 9/10</h3>
<figure id="attachment_282415" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-282415" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-282415" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Rohit-Sharma-hundred.jpg" alt="Rohit Sharma" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-282415" class="wp-caption-text">Rohit Sharma. (Photo Source: ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/rohit-sharma-in-the-relaxed-company-of-four-die-hard-asian-fans/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Rohit Sharma</strong></a> is a great leader and the success in the IPL is the testimony to the same. But he doesn’t have much experience leading the side at the international level. Hence, many were quite sceptical after he was announced the skipper at such a massive stage. Also, he had never led India in any of the major tournaments.</p>
<p>But, the 31-year-old responded beautifully to this big challenge. He led the side from the front with his batting and was extremely calm under pressure. The side did not lose a single game under him in the first round and Super Four stage. Especially, the composure that he showed in the Hong Kong game put up his temperament on display which was a delight to watch.</p>
<p>He was equally good in the final as well after Bangladesh got off to a dream start. With his captaincy, he played a major role in the oppositions’ collapse.</p>
<h3><strong><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/aakash-chopra-post-retirement-plan-ms-dhoni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MS Dhoni</a>&nbsp;– 8/10</strong></h3>
<figure id="attachment_282743" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-282743" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-282743" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/MS-Dhoni-5.jpg" alt="MS Dhoni is back as captain" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-282743" class="wp-caption-text">MS Dhoni. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>MS Dhoni led the side in the match against Afghanistan in the absence of both Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan. All the players who were warming the bench were given an opportunity in the match and the legendary skipper didn’t back off playing with what was a relatively weak XI. Although the game ended up in a tie, MSD was at his usual best with his captaincy skills.</p>
<p>He also became the first Asian captain to lead his side in 200 ODIs. Afghanistan batted well and kept India under pressure thanks to their inexperienced bowling attack. But Dhoni’s calmness and clever bowling changes never allowed the opposition to run away with the game.</p>

<p>Leading a side at the international level isn&#8217;t an easy job to do. It comes with its own set of complications. The Asia Cup 2018 witnessed some great games of cricket. While a few encounters were completely one-sided, the remaining went down to the wire leaving everyone on the edge of their seats. These close games are very tricky ones for the team captains as a single wrong move from them could potentially change the result of the match.</p>
<p>Apart from <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/india/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>India</strong></a>, all the other teams went into the tournament with their regular skippers. The captains had a huge role to play right from making the correct bowling and fielding changes in crunch situations to the all-important and difficult DRS calls. Here is how all the six captains fared in the tournament.</p>
<h3>Rating of the captains</h3>
<h3>1. Anshuman Rath | Hong Kong &#8211; 4/10</h3>
<figure id="attachment_280084" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-280084" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-280084" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Anshuman-Rath.jpg" alt="Anshuman Rath" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-280084" class="wp-caption-text">Anshuman Rath of Hong Kong. (Photo by Nigel Roddis &#8211; IDI/IDI via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>The 20-year-old Hong Kong skipper has had a great learning curve leading his team in the Asia Cup. His captaincy largely followed a static approach in the Qualifier tournament. He had his fixed set of five bowlers who did the job for him and well-defined roles for his batsmen. Although this worked out great in the preliminary rounds, the same approach against big teams wouldn&#8217;t have the exact impact.</p>
<p>Even though he had quite a few all-rounders available, Rath didn&#8217;t use them in the game against Pakistan. A part-timer, if given an over or two could have brought a crucial breakthrough. However, he was quick to realise the mistake and used his bowlers much more effectively against India restricting them to a below-par total.</p>
<h3>2. Angelo Mathews | Sri Lanka &#8211; 4.5/10</h3>
<figure id="attachment_273594" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-273594" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-273594" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Angelo-Mathews.jpg" alt="Angelo Mathews" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-273594" class="wp-caption-text">Angelo Mathews. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>This is possibly the worst Asia Cup ever for Sri Lanka. The side is taking too long with the transition period and injuries only dented their chances further in the tournament. <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/angelo-mathews-says-he-felt-betrayed-for-being-sacked-from-captaincy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Angelo Mathews</strong></a>, on a personal note, didn&#8217;t have a good time on the field either with the bat or the ball. The Asia Cup 2018 ended up being a nightmare for the experienced all-rounder.</p>
<p>His team was knocked out right in the first round. In the game against Bangladesh, his side was in a commanding position as the opposition was down to 1/2 right in the first over. But, he didn&#8217;t manage to keep the pressure going and let the game drift away. The case was similar in the Afghanistan match where he failed to build pressure on the new batsmen after the fall of two or three quick wickets.</p>
<h3>3. Asghar Afghan | Afghanistan &#8211; 7.5/10</h3>
<figure id="attachment_282986" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-282986" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-282986" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Asghar-Afghan-1.jpg" alt="Asghar Afghan" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-282986" class="wp-caption-text">Afghanistan captain Asghar Afghan. (Photo by Tharaka Basnayaka/NurPhoto via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Afghanistan had a dream run in the tournament but only if they had a tad bit of luck on their side. After getting through the first stage very comprehensively, they lost two games and tied one in the Super Four stage. These games very really close and could have gone either way.</p>
<p>Asghar was bang on with his captaincy and impressed one and all. The Afghan skipper made the right bowling and fielding changes and put some of the big guns under immense pressure. Although there was some criticism about him holding back <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/asia-cup-2018-rashid-khan-lauds-bhai-shikhar-dhawan-knock-pakistan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Rashid Khan</strong></a> a bit too much, he will only learn from the experiences and improvise. His captaincy played a crucial role in Afghanistan going the distance and he will cherish this for quite some time.</p>
<h3>4. Sarfraz Ahmed | Pakistan &#8211; 5/10</h3>
<figure id="attachment_281371" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-281371" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-281371" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Sarfraz-Ahmed-1.jpg" alt="Sarfraz Ahmed" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-281371" class="wp-caption-text">Sarfraz Ahmed. (Photo by ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Pakistan&#8217;s performance in the tournament was quite disappointing. After starting off on a positive note against Hong Kong, the side kept losing its way as the tournament progressed. They lost both the games against arch-rivals India and were humiliated in the do-or-die encounter against Bangladesh.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/pakistan-skipper-sarfraz-ahmed-doesnt-want-hit-panic-button-just-yet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Sarfraz Ahmed</strong></a>&#8216;s captaincy has a lot to do with the side&#8217;s failure. He failed to extract the best out of his bowlers. Further, he made some questionable fielding changes leading to criticism. With him failing with the bat as well, there are already demands of sacking him as the side&#8217;s skipper.</p>
<h3>5. Mashrafe Mortaza | Bangladesh &#8211; 8/10</h3>
<figure id="attachment_283143" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-283143" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-283143" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Mashrafe-Mortaza-1.jpg" alt="Mashrafe Mortaza" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-283143" class="wp-caption-text">Mashrafe Mortaza. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Bangladesh had its own ups and downs in the Asia Cup 2018. They had a few injury woes even before the tournament begun. During its course, they lost their vital cogs in the form of Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan. But the skipper <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/asia-cup-2018-for-bangladesh-captain-mashrafe-mortaza-a-trophy-doesnt-decide-his-career/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mashrafe Mortaza</strong></a> managed to keep the team environment positive and went about quite calmly with his captaincy.</p>
<p>In fact, many wouldn&#8217;t have realised that he was the man at helm watching him on the field. Yet, he did really well to guide his side through to the final. With constant support from Mushfiqur Rahim, the veteran cherished the added responsibility and brought all his experience to the fore in difficult situations. In the final, his captaincy was great and with some aggressive field-settings, he subjected the Indian batsmen to some immense pressure.</p>
<h3>6. Rohit Sharma | India &#8211; 9/10</h3>
<figure id="attachment_282415" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-282415" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-282415" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Rohit-Sharma-hundred.jpg" alt="Rohit Sharma" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-282415" class="wp-caption-text">Rohit Sharma. (Photo Source: ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/rohit-sharma-in-the-relaxed-company-of-four-die-hard-asian-fans/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Rohit Sharma</strong></a> is a great leader and the success in the IPL is the testimony to the same. But he doesn&#8217;t have much experience leading the side at the international level. Hence, many were quite sceptical after he was announced the skipper at such a massive stage. Also, he had never led India in any of the major tournaments.</p>
<p>But, the 31-year-old responded beautifully to this big challenge. He led the side from the front with his batting and was extremely calm under pressure. The side did not lose a single game under him in the first round and Super Four stage. Especially, the composure that he showed in the Hong Kong game put up his temperament on display which was a delight to watch.</p>
<p>He was equally good in the final as well after Bangladesh got off to a dream start. With his captaincy, he played a major role in the oppositions&#8217; collapse.</p>
<h3><strong><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/aakash-chopra-post-retirement-plan-ms-dhoni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MS Dhoni</a> &#8211; 8/10</strong></h3>
<figure id="attachment_282743" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-282743" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-282743" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/MS-Dhoni-5.jpg" alt="MS Dhoni is back as captain" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-282743" class="wp-caption-text">MS Dhoni. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>MS Dhoni led the side in the match against Afghanistan in the absence of both Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan. All the players who were warming the bench were given an opportunity in the match and the legendary skipper didn&#8217;t back off playing with what was a relatively weak XI. Although the game ended up in a tie, MSD was at his usual best with his captaincy skills.</p>
<p>He also became the first Asian captain to lead his side in 200 ODIs. Afghanistan batted well and kept India under pressure thanks to their inexperienced bowling attack. But Dhoni&#8217;s calmness and clever bowling changes never allowed the opposition to run away with the game.</p>

All the captains had to work hard in the sweltering UAE heat.

Asia Cup 2018: Team-wise captaincy ratings

Here are the team-wise captaincy ratings and the analysis of all the captains on how they led their team during the Asia Cup 2018.