The Indian Premier League (IPL) has frequently acted as a launchpad for developing cricketing talent to stand out, not only with bat and ball but in captaincy.
Over the years we’ve seen some outstanding young cricketers given the captaincy role early in their careers as well as having some success in it. These players have done very well and been consistently the best players for their respective teams in helping them achieve victory. Here we look at the youngest captains in IPL history and their development as captains.
Top 5 Youngest Captains In IPL History
1. Virat Kohli – 22 Years, 4 Months, 6 Days
Virat Kohli is considered one of the biggest superstars in world cricket and began his IPL captaincy career at the age of 22 years, 4 months, and 6 days. Kohli was appointed as captain in 2011 when Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain Daniel Vettori was injured.
Kohli was the youngest captain at the time, but he led his RCB team to a victory over Rajasthan Royals in his first game in charge. Kohli continued as the RCB captain until 2021 when he established one of the most competitive franchises in T20 history through an exciting and aggressive style of captaincy.
2. Steve Smith – 22 Years, 11 Months, 9 Days
Steve Smith, who is a consistent and cricketing brain, became the youngest captain in the history of IPL at the age of 22 years, 11 months, and 9 days. Smith became the captain of Pune Warriors India (PWI) after Sourav Ganguly resigned because of the underperformance of the team.
Although his debut as a captain did not materialize according to plan, Smith went on to captain multiple IPL teams like Rajasthan Royals and Rising Pune Supergiant, even getting the opportunity to captain in the shadow of MS Dhoni. All of this helped him develop into one of the world’s most valued captains of cricket.
3. Shreyas Iyer – 23 Years, 3 Months, 21 Days
Shreyas Iyer’s rise as a leader in the IPL occurred back in 2018 after he was appointed captain of the Delhi Capitals at the young age of 23 years, 3 months, and 21 days old while he took over from Gautam Gambhir’s unexpected retirement. Delhi Capitals improved under Iyer’s leadership, reaching the playoffs for the first time in seven years.
However, his crowning achievement was in 2020 when he captained Delhi’s first IPL final Iyer’s batting and leadership ability led to a successful season for Delhi, and although an injury prevented him from playing half of the 2021 season, he was already a proving leader at the IPL before he eventually signed for KKR in year 2024 where he won a championship.
4. Suresh Raina – 23 Years, 3 Months, 22 Days
Suresh Raina is perhaps the best all-rounder in IPL history, and he became a captain at the age of 23 years, 3 months, and 22 days.
In 2010, during an away match against the Delhi Daredevils when the regular captain MS Dhoni was unavailable, Raina took over and had an outstanding match, getting 49 runs for his team to win.
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Later, while CSK was suspended for two years, Raina was the captain of the Gujarat Lions. Under Raina’s captaincy, the Gujarat Lions made it to the playoffs in 2016, and he has consistently performed well on the field to be acknowledged for being one of the best captains in IPL history.
5. Riyan Parag – 23 Years, 4 Months, 10 Days
During the 2025 IPL season, Riyan Parag will receive the opportunity to captain the Rajasthan Royals in the absence of regular captain Sanju Samson, who is recovering from an injury. At the age of 23 years, 4 months, and 10 days, Parag ranks among the youngest captains in IPL history.
With this expectation in mind and despite being relatively inexperienced, Rajasthan Royals management has placed the leadership obligation on him for the first three matches of the season.
Rising Stars Leading the IPL
The youngest players to captain in IPL history have illustrated that age is simply a number in terms of captaincy. They have all left a lasting imprint on the league, demonstrating their ability to captain under pressure, along with high levels of cricketing skill. It will be fascinating to see how the next generation of young captains will shape the IPL as it evolves.
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