Ranking the most successful captains in T20 Asia Cup
Traditionally played in the One ODI format, the tournament began rotating between ODIs and T20Is from 2016, due to the upcoming ICC global events.
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MS Dhoni (India, 2016):
Legendary skipper, MS Dhoni registered his name in history books by leading India to the 2016 Asia Cup title, the first-ever edition played in the T20I format. Held in Mirpur's Shere Bangla National Cricket Stadium, the tournament was a preparation platform for the T20 World Cup later that year, and India went unbeaten throughout to lift the inaugural T20 Asia Cup.
The Men in Blue opened their campaign with a 45-run victory over Bangladesh, thanks to Rohit Sharma’s 83 and Ashish Nehra’s three-wicket haul. Against Pakistan, the team bounced back after struggling at 8/3 with Mohammed Amir’s solid spell. Virat Kohli’s 49 guided the team to a five-wicket win. Kohli continued his purple patch with an unbeaten 56 in the chase against Sri Lanka, along with Yuvraj Singh’s 35. A clinical nine-wicket win over the UAE took India into the final.
In the title clash, rain reduced the match to 15 overs per side. Bangladesh posted 120/5, but India’s top order kept them in the game. Shikhar Dhawan smashed 60, with Kohli chipping in with 41*, and then Dhoni sealed the trophy in style. The Ranchi-born smashed 20 runs off just 6 balls, finishing the game with a six. This win was India’s sixth Asia Cup win, and Dhoni’s impactful captaincy grabbed attention before he stepped down from captaincy in early 2017.