• T20 Asia Cup Winners List: Champions from 2016 to 2025 : Cricket Blog
    Published on : October 1st, 2026

    T20 Asia Cup Winners List: Champions from 2016 to 2025


    People not only from Asia, but across the world are eagerly waiting to enjoy matches played under the Asia Cup format. Depending on the World Cup cycle, it has moved between 50-over and T20 cricket. We have given our best to deliver a small detail related to the tournament especially if you are seeking a T20 Asia Cup winners list. Let?s read them together.

    From 2016 to 2025, there were only three T20 editions.

    India won the first. Sri Lanka took the trophy in 2022. India won it again in 2025.

    It sounds straightforward when written like that. Watch the finals, though, and the story becomes a little more interesting.


    T20 Asia Cup Winners List: 2016, 2022 and 2025

    Year

    Champion

    Runner-up

    Captain

    Final Result

    2016

    India

    Bangladesh

    MS Dhoni

    India won by 8 wickets

    2022

    Sri Lanka

    Pakistan

    Dasun Shanaka

    Sri Lanka won by 23 runs

    2025

    India

    Pakistan

    Suryakumar Yadav

    India won by 5 wickets

    There were two other Asia Cups during this period, in 2018 and 2023, but both were played in ODI format. They are therefore left out of a T20-only list.


    India and the First T20 Asia Cup

    The 2016 final feels like a different era when you look back at it now.

    Bangladesh had made it to the final at home in Mirpur. Rain then reduced the match to 15 overs per side, so there was no time for either side to settle into a long innings.

    Bangladesh finished on 120/5.

    India's reply was largely about Shikhar Dhawan. He made 60 from 44 balls, finding the boundaries often enough to keep the chase under control. India reached 122/2 in 13.5 overs and won by eight wickets.

    There wasn't a dramatic finish. India didn't need one.

    They simply got ahead of the game and stayed there.

    Dhawan was named Player of the Match, while MS Dhoni lifted the first T20 Asia Cup trophy as captain.

    2016 Final

    • Bangladesh: 120/5

    • India: 122/2

    • Dhawan: 60 off 44

    • India won with 7 balls remaining


    Then Came Sri Lanka's Turn in 2022

    Four years later, the final looked nothing like the first one.

    Sri Lanka were playing Pakistan in Dubai and had made a mess of their own innings early on. At 58/5, they were in serious danger of ending up with a score that would be difficult to defend.

    Bhanuka Rajapaksa changed the mood.

    He didn't try to manufacture a miracle. He simply stayed there, found the gaps and waited for the opportunities. His unbeaten 71, along with 36 from Wanindu Hasaranga, helped Sri Lanka reach 170/6.

    Suddenly Pakistan had a proper chase on their hands.

    They never quite got there. Pakistan were bowled out for 147 and Sri Lanka won by 23 runs.

    Rajapaksa's innings was the obvious difference. The remarkable part was that Sri Lanka had spent much of their own innings looking like the side that might lose.

    Then they won.


    2025: An Asia Cup Final India and Pakistan Had Never Played Before

    By 2025, the T20 Asia Cup had another piece of history waiting to happen.

    India and Pakistan had met plenty of times in the Asia Cup, but never in the final. That changed in 2025.

    Pakistan were dismissed for 146. Kuldeep Yadav took four wickets and was a major reason the total stayed within India's reach.

    Then India's chase took an unexpected turn.

    Three wickets went down and the scoreboard read 20/3.

    That is the sort of moment when a chase can become very different from what the target suggests. A total of 147 doesn't look enormous before a T20 innings begins. At 20/3, it can suddenly feel much bigger.

    Tilak Varma stayed.

    He made an unbeaten 69 and was still there when India reached 150/5 in 19.4 overs.

    Five wickets remained.Two balls remained.

    India had won another T20 Asia Cup.

    For Pakistan, it was their second runners-up finish in the three T20 editions.


    T20 Asia Cup Titles: Who Has Won What?

    The trophy count is currently:

    • India - 2

    • Sri Lanka - 1

    • Pakistan - 0

    India's titles came eight years apart: 2016 and 2025.

    Sri Lanka's only T20 title so far came in 2022.

    Pakistan have been close without getting over the final hurdle, finishing second in both 2022 and 2025.


    Three Finals, But No Repeated Script

    This is probably the most interesting thing about the short T20 winners list.

    The first final was a chase that India controlled.

    The second was a rescue act by Sri Lanka.

    The third was an India-Pakistan contest that turned into a tense chase after India lost three early wickets.

    So there isn't really a ?typical? T20 Asia Cup final yet.

    And perhaps that is why these three editions are worth remembering individually rather than treating them as three entries in a statistics table.


    A Few Numbers From the T20 Era

    Detail

    Number

    T20 Asia Cup editions, 2016?2025

    3

    India titles

    2

    Sri Lanka titles

    1

    Pakistan final appearances

    2

    First T20 edition

    2016

    First India-Pakistan final

    2025


    What About 2018 and 2023?

    This is one of the most common points of confusion. The Asia Cup was played in ODI format in 2018 and 2023. So if you're searching for every Asia Cup champion, those years matter. If you're specifically looking for T20 Asia Cup winners, they don't.

    That distinction also explains why the T20 list looks surprisingly short despite covering almost a decade.


    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

    Q1. Who won the first T20 Asia Cup?

    A1. India won the inaugural T20 Asia Cup in 2016, defeating Bangladesh by eight wickets.

    Q2. Who won the T20 Asia Cup in 2022?

    A2. Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan by 23 runs in the 2022 final.

    Q3. Who won the T20 Asia Cup in 2025?

    A3. India beat Pakistan by five wickets in the 2025 final.

    Q4. How many T20 Asia Cup titles has India won?

    A4. India have won the T20 Asia Cup twice, in 2016 and 2025.

    Q5. How many times has Pakistan reached the T20 Asia Cup final?

    A5. Pakistan have reached two T20 Asia Cup finals so far, in 2022 and 2025.


    Final Words

    A winners list is usually just a collection of names and years. The T20 Asia Cup is still small enough that you can remember the stories behind each one.

    India's first title came through a relatively comfortable chase. Sri Lanka's 2022 triumph came after they had already put themselves in trouble. And India's 2025 victory was shaped by a chase that nearly went wrong before Tilak Varma settled it.

    Three editions, three very different finals.

    People not only from Asia, but across the world are eagerly waiting to enjoy matches played under the Asia Cup format. Depending on the World Cup cycle, it has moved between 50-over and T20 cricket. We have given our best to deliver a small detail related to the tournament especially if you are seeking a T20 Asia Cup winners list. Let?s read them together.

    From 2016 to 2025, there were only three T20 editions.

    India won the first. Sri Lanka took the trophy in 2022. India won it again in 2025.

    It sounds straightforward when written like that. Watch the finals, though, and the story becomes a little more interesting.


    T20 Asia Cup Winners List: 2016, 2022 and 2025

    Year

    Champion

    Runner-up

    Captain

    Final Result

    2016

    India

    Bangladesh

    MS Dhoni

    India won by 8 wickets

    2022

    Sri Lanka

    Pakistan

    Dasun Shanaka

    Sri Lanka won by 23 runs

    2025

    India

    Pakistan

    Suryakumar Yadav

    India won by 5 wickets

    There were two other Asia Cups during this period, in 2018 and 2023, but both were played in ODI format. They are therefore left out of a T20-only list.


    India and the First T20 Asia Cup

    The 2016 final feels like a different era when you look back at it now.

    Bangladesh had made it to the final at home in Mirpur. Rain then reduced the match to 15 overs per side, so there was no time for either side to settle into a long innings.

    Bangladesh finished on 120/5.

    India's reply was largely about Shikhar Dhawan. He made 60 from 44 balls, finding the boundaries often enough to keep the chase under control. India reached 122/2 in 13.5 overs and won by eight wickets.

    There wasn't a dramatic finish. India didn't need one.

    They simply got ahead of the game and stayed there.

    Dhawan was named Player of the Match, while MS Dhoni lifted the first T20 Asia Cup trophy as captain.

    2016 Final

    • Bangladesh: 120/5

    • India: 122/2

    • Dhawan: 60 off 44

    • India won with 7 balls remaining


    Then Came Sri Lanka's Turn in 2022

    Four years later, the final looked nothing like the first one.

    Sri Lanka were playing Pakistan in Dubai and had made a mess of their own innings early on. At 58/5, they were in serious danger of ending up with a score that would be difficult to defend.

    Bhanuka Rajapaksa changed the mood.

    He didn't try to manufacture a miracle. He simply stayed there, found the gaps and waited for the opportunities. His unbeaten 71, along with 36 from Wanindu Hasaranga, helped Sri Lanka reach 170/6.

    Suddenly Pakistan had a proper chase on their hands.

    They never quite got there. Pakistan were bowled out for 147 and Sri Lanka won by 23 runs.

    Rajapaksa's innings was the obvious difference. The remarkable part was that Sri Lanka had spent much of their own innings looking like the side that might lose.

    Then they won.


    2025: An Asia Cup Final India and Pakistan Had Never Played Before

    By 2025, the T20 Asia Cup had another piece of history waiting to happen.

    India and Pakistan had met plenty of times in the Asia Cup, but never in the final. That changed in 2025.

    Pakistan were dismissed for 146. Kuldeep Yadav took four wickets and was a major reason the total stayed within India's reach.

    Then India's chase took an unexpected turn.

    Three wickets went down and the scoreboard read 20/3.

    That is the sort of moment when a chase can become very different from what the target suggests. A total of 147 doesn't look enormous before a T20 innings begins. At 20/3, it can suddenly feel much bigger.

    Tilak Varma stayed.

    He made an unbeaten 69 and was still there when India reached 150/5 in 19.4 overs.

    Five wickets remained.Two balls remained.

    India had won another T20 Asia Cup.

    For Pakistan, it was their second runners-up finish in the three T20 editions.


    T20 Asia Cup Titles: Who Has Won What?

    The trophy count is currently:

    • India - 2

    • Sri Lanka - 1

    • Pakistan - 0

    India's titles came eight years apart: 2016 and 2025.

    Sri Lanka's only T20 title so far came in 2022.

    Pakistan have been close without getting over the final hurdle, finishing second in both 2022 and 2025.


    Three Finals, But No Repeated Script

    This is probably the most interesting thing about the short T20 winners list.

    The first final was a chase that India controlled.

    The second was a rescue act by Sri Lanka.

    The third was an India-Pakistan contest that turned into a tense chase after India lost three early wickets.

    So there isn't really a ?typical? T20 Asia Cup final yet.

    And perhaps that is why these three editions are worth remembering individually rather than treating them as three entries in a statistics table.


    A Few Numbers From the T20 Era

    Detail

    Number

    T20 Asia Cup editions, 2016?2025

    3

    India titles

    2

    Sri Lanka titles

    1

    Pakistan final appearances

    2

    First T20 edition

    2016

    First India-Pakistan final

    2025


    What About 2018 and 2023?

    This is one of the most common points of confusion. The Asia Cup was played in ODI format in 2018 and 2023. So if you're searching for every Asia Cup champion, those years matter. If you're specifically looking for T20 Asia Cup winners, they don't.

    That distinction also explains why the T20 list looks surprisingly short despite covering almost a decade.


    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

    Q1. Who won the first T20 Asia Cup?

    A1. India won the inaugural T20 Asia Cup in 2016, defeating Bangladesh by eight wickets.

    Q2. Who won the T20 Asia Cup in 2022?

    A2. Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan by 23 runs in the 2022 final.

    Q3. Who won the T20 Asia Cup in 2025?

    A3. India beat Pakistan by five wickets in the 2025 final.

    Q4. How many T20 Asia Cup titles has India won?

    A4. India have won the T20 Asia Cup twice, in 2016 and 2025.

    Q5. How many times has Pakistan reached the T20 Asia Cup final?

    A5. Pakistan have reached two T20 Asia Cup finals so far, in 2022 and 2025.


    Final Words

    A winners list is usually just a collection of names and years. The T20 Asia Cup is still small enough that you can remember the stories behind each one.

    India's first title came through a relatively comfortable chase. Sri Lanka's 2022 triumph came after they had already put themselves in trouble. And India's 2025 victory was shaped by a chase that nearly went wrong before Tilak Varma settled it.

    Three editions, three very different finals.