Five youngest captains in IPL history ft. Rishabh Pant
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is a T20 league operated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Inaugurated back in 2007, the tournament is one of the biggest and the wealthiest among franchise-level cricket tournaments. It is a double-round-robin tournament comprising 10 teams representing either states or cities of India.
The IPL is widely regarded as one of the greatest platforms for emerging players, whether from India or other countries around the world. Scouting several big, talented players, the league has seen many promising players enter the role of skipper.
Here’s a list of the five youngest captains in IPL history:
1: Virat Kohli (22 years 4 months and 6 days)
Former Indian captain Virat Kohli is the youngest-ever captain in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He stepped in as the captain for RCB in 2011, replacing injured Daniel Vettori for three games.
As the captain, Kohli’s leadership was marked by his intense commitment to fitness, work ethic, and aggressive approach to the game. In 2021, Kohli decided to step down as RCB’s captain after the IPL season, citing the need for a new phase in his career.
2: Steve Smith (22 years 11 months and 9 days)
Steve Smith took the Pune Warriors India captaincy from Sourav Ganguly (Image Credit: gettyimages)
Australian legendary batter Steve Smith, one of the most accomplished cricketers of the current generation, is next on our list of the youngest IPL captains. He turned in as the stand-in captain for Pune Warriors India, replacing veteran Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly, who rested himself in 2011. Despite his young age, his calmness and perseverance in decision-making on the field set him apart, particularly in high-pressure situations.
Steve Smith also turned the captain for Australia in several matches of the 2015 World Cup, as he led them to wins on multiple occasions. Smith also led Australia in the 2019 Cricket World Cup as well as the 2017 Champions Trophy.
3: Shreyas Iyer (23 years 3 months and 21 days)
Indian middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer stepped into the captaincy role after Gautam Gambhir stepped down from the post-midseason in 2018. Under his leadership, DC underwent a remarkable transformation, rising from the lower ranks of the tournament to become one of the most competitive teams.
Having started his leadership role in 2018, he went on to be a superstar with the Kolkata Knight Riders, this time not replacing but reuniting with Gautam Gambhir as captain and mentor. Iyer won the IPL title as the skipper with the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024.
4: Suresh Raina (23 years 3 months and 22 days)
Former Indian batting all-rounder Suresh Raina led his favourite franchise, Chennai Super Kings, in MS Dhoni’s absence in the year 2008. Raina was largely known for his upfront skills with the bat as well as his electrifying efforts on the field. However, relatively young Raina captained the likes of great Matthew Hayden, Michael Hussey, and Muralitharan with immense motivation and contributed to CSK’s growing competitive edge as they made it to the finals in the inaugural season.
5: Rishabh Pant (23 years 6 months and 6 days)
Indian wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant was named the captain of Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) in the 2021 season after the former skipper Shreyas Iyer was ruled out of the season owing to injury. Despite being new to a leadership role, Pant stepped up with sheer confidence and showed great maturity on the field. Pant’s natural energy and unique stance on the field helped the team get back their morale, though owing to some unforeseen situations Pant doesn’t have a very impressive record as a skipper.
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