Youngest Captains in International Cricket – In Tests, ODIs, And T20Is

Experience usually comes hand in hand with leadership in cricket, but some young players have defied the trend, assuming the leadership of their nations at remarkably early points in their careers.

List of the youngest captains in all formats of international cricket

Youngest Captains in T20 Internationals (T20Is)

The T20I format has provided numerous developing cricketing countries with the opportunity to play at the global stage. With the ICC declaring all member nations a T20I country in 2019, numerous young players have risen to become captains, frequently in their teens or early 20s.

While associate nations figure prominently on this list, the youngest T20I captain for a full ICC member is Pakistan’s Qasim Akram, who captained his side at the 2023 Asian Games aged just 20 years.

Top 10 Youngest T20I Captains

Zach Vukusic (Croatia) – 17 years, 311 days

Noman Amjad (France) – 18 years, 24 days

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

Note: Gustav McKeon also holds the record for being the only male cricketer to score consecutive centuries in T20I cricket.

Youngest Captains in One-Day Internationals (ODIs)

Among the 50-over format, the youngest ODI captain is Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan. Prolific with both bat and ball, and also as a captain, Rashid assumed the reins at 19 years old.

The format also features young leadership from Nepal and Hong Kong, with some big names from the full-member countries such as New Zealand and Pakistan.

Top 10 Youngest Captains in ODIs

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 (UAE) – 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

Insight: Rashid Khan is the only player to appear at the top of both the ODI and Test youngest captains lists.

Youngest Captains in Test Cricket

Test cricket, the game’s most formal and demanding version, does not often have captains younger than 22. But a handful of exceptional players have burst into leadership positions early.

One of the most recognizable names on this list is Graeme Smith, who was made captain of South Africa at only 22 and went on to be the most successful Test skipper ever. Waqar Younis is also included here, making his mark across formats.

Youngest Captains in Test Cricket

Though the complete list wasn’t elaborated on, the top names known are:

Rashid Khan (Afghanistan) – Youngest Test captain ever

Waqar Younis (Pakistan) – Included in Test and ODI youngest captains lists

Graeme Smith (South Africa) – Started captaincy at 22, went on to lead South Africa to record success

A Glimpse into Cricket’s Youngest Leaders

From the record-breaking T20I captaincy of Zach Vukusic at 17 to the meteoric multi-format leadership of Rashid Khan, these records indicate that age is no hindrance where leadership in international cricket is concerned.

Whether it’s up-and-coming cricketing nations or full members such as Pakistan, Zimbabwe, or New Zealand, all of these newest captains have had a huge impact in the early part of their careers, and most are still writing their books on the international stage.

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