Often hailed as one of the most prestigious titles in the history of international cricket, the T20 World Cup has been witness to numerous high-stakes matches, spine-chilling rivalries, unprecedented fan frenzy and star-studded lineup of international cricketers who have earned enormous fame and recognition from millions of cricket aficionados from all over the world for their unmatched excellence on the field. The glorious history of the T20 World Cup has also witnessed numerous legendary captains who have led their teams to a phenomenal and downright sensational streak of triumphs in the past few decades. Interestingly, a few of these legendary and iconic captains have also made headlines for defying the odds of their age and claiming the prestigious T20 World Cup.
In this article we will take a look at the top four youngest captains to win the prestigious and coveted T20 World Cup.
Top 4 Youngest Captains Who Won The T20 World Cup
-
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India – 26 Years, 79 Days
Often regarded as one of the greatest captains in the history of international cricket, the legendary Indian former international cricketer and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni is at the first spot in our list of the top four legendary captains who made history after clinching the prestigious T20 World Cup at the age of 26 years and 7o days. Mahendra Singh Dhoni clinched his maiden T20 World Cup title in 2007 after defeating arch-rivals Pakistan at Johannesburg, South Africa. Although Mahendra Singh Dhoni failed to meet the expectations of millions of fans and supporters of the Indian cricket team and ended up scoring only six runs off ten deliveries before getting dismissed by Pakistan’s Umar Gul, the formidable batting lineup of India, including prominent batsmen like Gautam Gambhir, Irfan Pathan and Joginder Sharma led India to a sensational victory against Pakistan at the 2007 ICC T20 World Cup.
-
Lasith Malinga, Sri Lanka – 30 Years, 221 Days
At the second spot in our list of the top four youngest captains to win the prestigious and coveted T20 World Cup, we have the legendary Sri Lankan former international cricketer Lasith Malinga, who is still regarded as one of the most lethal and ruthless bowlers in the limited-overs cricket format. Malinga clinched the ICC T20 World Cup in 2014, defeating India in the final by six wickets on 6 April 2014. Lasith Malinga, who was appointed as the captain of Sri Lanka squad after Dinesh Chandimal was suspended for a slow over-rate, successfully led the country to their maiden World Cup victory after losing the finals in 2009 and 2012. Lasith Malinga lifted the prestigious T20 World Cup trophy at the age of 30 years and 221 days, making him the second-youngest captain to achieve the glorious feat as of July 2025.
-
Darren Sammy, West Indies – 28 Years, 292 Days
Next, at the third spot in our list of the top four legendary captains who made history after clinching the prestigious T20 World Cup, we have the iconic Saint Lucian cricketer, Darren Sammy, who played international cricket for the West Indies from 2004 to 2016 and currently serves as the head coach of the West Indies cricket team in limited overs cricket. Darren Sammy grabbed enormous fame and recognition in the world of cricket for being the first Caribbean captain to lift a T20 World Cup trophy in 2012 after defeating Sri Lanka in the finals by a margin of 36 runs. Additionally, Darren Sammy also clinched his second T20 World Cup with West Indies as a captain in 2016, speaking volumes about his unwavering dominance and path-breaking captaincy that played a major role in transforming the West Indies national cricket team.
-
Younis Khan, Pakistan – 31 Years, 204 Days
Finally, at the fourth spot in our list of the top four youngest captains to win the prestigious and coveted T20 World Cup, we have the legendary Pakistani professional cricket coach and former cricketer and captain of the Pakistan national cricket team in all three formats of the game, Younis Khan. Often hailed as one of the greatest batsmen of all-time, Younis Khan clinched his first World Cup title as a captain at the age of 31 years and 204 days against Sri Lanka at the ICC T20 World Cup 2009 after defeating Sri Lanka by 8 wickets. Younis Khan displayed his calm demeanour approach in the finals against Sri Lanka and delivered a sensational and balanced knock of 24 runs off 19 deliveries, leading the Pakistan side to their maiden T20 World Cup title.
