Well, religiously followed by billions of hardcore aficionados from all over the world, the One-Day Internationals (ODIs) have witnessed numerous path-breaking captains, including Ricky Ponting, Hansie Cronje, Stephen Fleming, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and many others, who have led their respective teams to a sensational streak of victories in the last few decades. A few of these legendary ODI captains have also grabbed enormous fame and praise from cricket aficionados for leading their countries to dominating triumphs at a very young age, fighting against all the odds and defeating the most seasoned players of the format. Have you ever wondered about the legendary captains who have defied the odds of their age and led their teams to sensational victories in ODI matches? Well, let’s find out.
In this article we will take a look at the top four youngest ODI captains of all-time.
Top 4 Youngest Captains in the History of ODI
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Rashid Khan, Afghanistan – 20 Years, 350 Days
The legendary Afghan international cricketer and current captain of the Afghanistan national team in the T20I format, Rashid Khan, is at the first spot in our list of the top four legendary youngest captains who defied the odds of their age and etched their names in the history of ODIs. Rashid Khan was appointed as the ODI captain of the Afghanistan national cricket team at the age of 20 years and 350 days on March 4, 2018, during the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier against Scotland in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Rashid Khan captained a total of 7 ODIs between 2018–2019, winning just one match and losing a shocking total of six.
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Tatenda Taibu, Zimbabwe – 20 Years, 358 Days
At the second spot in our list of the top four youngest ODI captains of all-time, we have the iconic former Zimbabwean cricketer, Tatenda Taibu, who captained the Zimbabwe national cricket team. Tatenda Taibu was appointed as the ODI captain of the Zimbabwe national cricket team on 20 April 2004 at the age of 20 years and 358 days during the 2004 series against Sri Lanka. Although Tatenda Taibu delivered a sensational knock of 169 runs, Zimbabwe faced a heavy defeat in the 5‑match ODI series (whitewashed 5‑0). Tatenda Taibu established himself as the second-youngest captain in the history of One-Day Internationals and the first-ever black captain to lead Zimbabwe in the world’s most prestigious and popular cricket format.
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Rajin Saleh, Bangladesh – 20 Years, 360 Days
Next, at the third spot in our list of the top four legendary youngest captains who defied the odds of their age and etched their names in the history of ODIs, we have Bangladeshi former cricketer, Khondokar Mohammad Rajin Saleh Alam, popularly referred to as “Rajin Saleh”. Rajin Saleh was a member of the national 2006 ICC Champions Trophy and 2007 Cricket World Cup squads. At the age of 20 years and 360 days, Rajin Saleh was appointed as the ODI skipper of the Bangladesh national cricket team during the ICC Champions Trophy 2004 as a stand-in captain for stand-in captain for the regular skipper, Habibul Bashar, who was ruled out due to a broken thumb just before the tournament.
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Graeme Smith, South Africa – 22 Years, 342 Days
Finally, at the fourth spot in our list of the top four youngest ODI captains of all-time, we have the legendary cricketer who played for South Africa in all formats from 2002 to 2014. Widely regarded as one of the most lethal bowlers in the history of international cricket, Graeme Smith was appointed as the ODI skipper for South Africa’s national cricket team during the ODI tournament during the 2003 TVS Cup — a tri-series held in India at the age of 22 years and 342 days establishing him as the fourth-youngest ODI captain as of July 2025. Graeme Smith played a total of 150 ODIs as the skipper of the South African national cricket team and clinched 92 out of them, speaking volumes about his path-breaking captaincy that played a major role in transforming South Africa’s stature in the One-Day Internationals.
