Varun Aaron picks Afghanistan star over Suryakumar Yadav in 'this or that' challenge involving T20I captains

Former India pacer Varun Aaron chose Afghanistan's Rashid Khan as the leading T20I skipper in the world over some massive names like Suryakumar Yadav and Aiden Markram in the process. The wrist spinner recently led his team in the 2025 Asia Cup, where they were eliminated in the group stage itself after losses to Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

In a segment with ESPN Cricinfo, Aaron was presented with Rashid Khan as an option from the get-go, and stuck with the ace spinner all the way through. He overlooked the likes of Shai Hope, Salman Ali Agha, Suryakumar Yadav, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Mitchell Santner, Harry Brook, and Charith Asalanka.

Suryakumar Yadav recently led India to the 2025 Asia Cup title, and has only lost four out of the 29 matches so far as captain. Aiden Markram, on the other hand, led South Africa to the 2024 T20 World Cup final, but has an inferior record with just 14 wins out of 31 as a leader.

Rashid Khan has led Afghanistan to 20 wins in 38 T20I matches as captain

The ace spinner has had multiple stints as Afghanistan's T20I skipper, with his captaincy debut coming in 2019 against Zimbabwe. Since then, he has led the nation in 38 T20I matches, securing 20 wins, resulting in a win percentage of 52.63.

He guided Afghanistan to the semi-finals of the 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the United States of America (USA), where the Aiden Markram-led Proteas outfit eliminated them.

The skipper is currently facing a rough time as the team are on a four-match losing streak. Their twin losses in the 2025 Asia Cup group stage have been followed by consecutive losses to Bangladesh in the T20I series in Sharjah.

Apart from international cricket, Rashid Khan also has leadership experience through franchise cricket. He is the Gujarat Titans' (GT) vice-captain in the Indian Premier League (IPL), and has led the team twice, securing one win and a loss so far.