3 youngest Indians to captain an IPL franchise ft. Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill has been named the new captain of Gujarat Titans in the IPL following Hardik Pandya's return to Mumbai Indians, as confirmed by the franchises on Monday. Hardik led the Titans in 2022 and 2023, and now Shubman Gill, at 24-years-old, will assume his first leadership role for the upcoming 2024 season.
Gill, who began his IPL career with Kolkata Knight Riders in 2018, was released before the 2022 auction. As a new IPL franchise in 2022, the Titans had the privilege of signing up to three players, securing Gill, Hardik, and Rashid Khan for INR 7 crore and INR 15 crore each, respectively.
Here we take a look at 3 youngest Indians to captain an IPL franchise:
#3 Shubman Gill*: 24 years, 2 months (Gujarat Titans)
At the age of 24, Shubman Gill will be one of the youngest Indian captains in the IPL. He has been in stellar form in limited overs cricket and in 2022, he scored 483 runs for Gujarat Titans in 16 matches with a top score of an unbeaten 45 in the final against Rajasthan Royals.
He then cranked it up even further in 2023 when he emerged as highest run-getter in IPL 2023 with 890 runs in 17 innings. This effort included three centuries, in a campaign where Gujarat Titans finished runners-up to CSK.
#2 Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, Suresh Raina: 23 years
Shreyas Iyer, currently leading the Kolkata Knight Riders, initially experienced captaincy during the 2018 season with Delhi Capitals when Gautam Gambhir opted to bench himself due to poor form. At the age of 23 years, 3 months, and 21 days, Iyer stepped into the leadership role for the Capitals.
Suresh Raina, assumed captaincy duties at 23 years, 3 months, and 22 days, filling in for MS Dhoni during an away fixture against Delhi Daredevils.
During the 2021 season, with Shreyas Iyer sidelined due to injury and undergoing surgery, the Delhi Capitals management faced a quick decision. Rishabh Pant, aged 23 years, 6 months, and 6 days, emerged as a favored choice, propelled by his heroic performances in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Pant's standout displays in international cricket solidified his position, leading the Delhi Capitals during Iyer's absence.
#1 Virat Kohli: 22 years
Virat Kohli was always seen as a leader after he guided the India U-19 cricket team to victory in the 2008 World Cup. Despite possessing this acumen, the presence of seasoned players such as Anil Kumble, Kevin Pietersen, and Rahul Dravid initially kept the young cricketer out of any leadership position for RCB.
The turning point came in 2011 when, at the age of 22 years, 4 months, and 6 days, Kohli was thrust into the captaincy role for an away match against Rajasthan Royals. This opportunity arose due to the injury of then-skipper Daniel Vettori, marking a pivotal moment in Kohli's leadership journey.