Youngest Captains In International Cricket: it is a sport in which leadership involves tremendous responsibility. Very few players receive such great responsibility at a young age. However, some young cricketers break world records by being the youngest captain in international cricket. In this section, we will assess some of these youngsters who have led their teams at a very young age status and made history.
Youngest T20I Captains in International Cricket
The introduction of International Twenty20 (T20I) cricket in 2005 and the decision of the International Cricket Council (ICC) to award T20I status to all member countries at the beginning of 2019 paved the way for a number of smaller cricketing countries. Consequently, a number of young players from these countries have ended up captaining their respective teams at a very young age.
Zach Vukusic, the youngest international T20I cricket captain in history, hogged the limelight by leading Croatia against Cyprus in August 2025 at the age of just 17 years and 311 days. This historic feat points towards the increasing role of smaller countries in world cricket.
Youngest Captains In International Cricket: T20 Format
Zach Vukusic (Croatia) – 17 years, 311 days
Noman Amjad (France) – 18 years, 24 days
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Carl Hartmann (Isle of Man) – 18 years, 276 days
Luwsanzundui Erdenebulgan (Mongolia) – 18 years, 324 days
Didier Ndikubwimana (Rwanda) – 19 years, 327 days
Aaftab Limdawala (Malawi) – 20 years, 18 days
George Ngegba (Sierra Leone) – 20 years, 19 days
Burhan Niaz (Belgium) – 20 years, 103 days
Virandeep Singh (Malaysia) – 20 years, 190 days
Gustav McKeon (France) -20 years, 204 days
As you can observe, most of these youthful leaders come from nations that have been taking the T20I competition by storm, and their youthful leadership experience indicates a bright future for the cricketing nations of these leaders.
Youngest ODI Captains in International Cricket
The One Day International (ODI) structure, the backbone of contemporary cricket, has witnessed some phenomenal youngsters shoulder the leadership role.
Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan, a T20 household name, also holds the record as the youngest ODI captain in international cricket. Khan was made the captain of Afghanistan at the age of 19 years and 165 days, and he led the side with exceptional maturity for someone so young.
Top 10 Youngest ODI Captains
Rashid Khan (Afghanistan) – 19 years, 165 days
Rohit Paudel (Nepal) – 20 years, 73 days
Rajin Saleh (Bangladesh) – 20 years, 297 days
Anshuman Rath (Hong Kong) – 20 years, 315 days
Tatenda Taibu (Zimbabwe) – 20 years, 342 days
Vriitya Aravind (United Arab Emirates) – 21 years, 21 days
Prosper Utseya (Zimbabwe) – 21 years, 125 days
Sandeep Lamichhane (Nepal) – 21 years, 226 days
Kane Williamson (New Zealand) – 21 years, 332 days
Waqar Younis (Pakistan) – 21 years, 354 days
Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, and Nepal have some of the youngest ODI captains, but top cricketers from major cricket-playing nations like New Zealand’s Kane Williamson and Pakistan’s Waqar Younis find their place in the top 10 list.
Youngest Test Captains in International Cricket
The longest version of the game, Test cricket, requires enormous skill, mental toughness, and strategic thinking, hence why the youngest Test captains have tended to become legends themselves. Rashid Khan tops this list once more, becoming the youngest Test captain at 20 years and 350 days. His captaincy in all formats of the game has made him one of cricket’s most influential young captains.
Another prominent name is South African Graeme Smith. Smith, who became the Test captain at only 22 years and 82 days old, became one of the greatest captains in the history of Test cricket.
Youngest Captains In International Cricket: Test Format
Rashid Khan (Afghanistan) – 20 years, 350 days
Tatenda Taibu (Zimbabwe) – 20 years, 358 days
Mansur Pataudi (India) – 21 years, 77 days
Waqar Younis (Pakistan) – 22 years, 15 days
Graeme Smith (South Africa) – 22 years, 82 days
Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh) – 22 years, 115 days
Ian Craig (Australia) – 22 years, 194 days
Javed Miandad (Pakistan) – 22 years, 260 days
Murray Bisset (South Africa) – 22 years, 306 days
Mohammad Ashraful (Bangladesh) – 22 years, 353 days
These cricketers have been able to cope with the pressure and challenge of captaining in Test cricket, a job that normally comes with players more experienced than them. Graeme Smith and Waqar Younis showed that age is just a number when it comes to master leadership.
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