Virat Kohli is the youngest captain in IPL history. He first led Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2011 at 22 years and 187 days, and no player has beaten that mark in the seasons since. This list of the youngest captains in IPL history ranks the ten youngest leaders by their age on the day they first captained an IPL side.
The list covers stand in captains as well as full time captains. A short stand in spell counts, because the age on that first day is what sets the record. That is why several names here led only a few matches at first, then went on to much longer captaincy careers.
Every captain in the top ten was between 22 and 24 years old on debut as captain. No teenager has yet captained an IPL team. The ages below are the ages on the day of each player’s first match as IPL captain, checked against birth dates and match dates.
Youngest Captains in IPL History Overview
| Record | Detail |
|---|---|
| Youngest captain | Virat Kohli, Royal Challengers Bengaluru |
| Age on first match as captain | 22 years and 187 days |
| First match as captain | Royal Challengers Bengaluru against Rajasthan Royals, Jaipur, 2011 |
| Second youngest captain | Steve Smith, Pune Warriors India, 22 years and 344 days |
| Youngest age range in the top ten | 22 years and 187 days to 24 years and 292 days |
| Most recent entry in the top ten | Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rajasthan Royals, 2026, 24 years and 132 days |
For the official league background, see the official IPL website. For more captaincy records on this site, see Oldest Captains in IPL and most runs as captain in IPL history.
Top 10 Youngest Captains in IPL
| Rank | Captain | Team | Age at First Match as Captain | Season | First Match as Captain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virat Kohli | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 22 years and 187 days | 2011 | Against Rajasthan Royals at Jaipur |
| 2 | Steve Smith | Pune Warriors India | 22 years and 344 days | 2012 | Against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Pune |
| 3 | Suresh Raina | Chennai Super Kings | 23 years and 112 days | 2010 | Against Delhi Daredevils at Chennai |
| 4 | Riyan Parag | Rajasthan Royals | 23 years and 133 days | 2025 | Against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Hyderabad |
| 5 | Shreyas Iyer | Delhi Daredevils | 23 years and 142 days | 2018 | Against Kolkata Knight Riders at Delhi |
| 6 | Rishabh Pant | Delhi Capitals | 23 years and 188 days | 2021 | Against Chennai Super Kings at Mumbai |
| 7 | Rashid Khan | Gujarat Titans | 23 years and 209 days | 2022 | Against Chennai Super Kings at Pune |
| 8 | Yashasvi Jaiswal | Rajasthan Royals | 24 years and 132 days | 2026 | Against Gujarat Titans |
| 9 | Shubman Gill | Gujarat Titans | 24 years and 198 days | 2024 | Against Mumbai Indians at Ahmedabad |
| 10 | Dinesh Karthik | Delhi Daredevils | 24 years and 292 days | 2010 | Stand in spell for Delhi Daredevils in 2010 |
Record History
Suresh Raina set the early mark in 2010. He led Chennai Super Kings at 23 years and 112 days when MS Dhoni was unavailable, and for one season he was the youngest captain the league had seen.
Virat Kohli broke that mark in the very next season. In 2011, regular Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Daniel Vettori was injured, and Kohli stepped in against Rajasthan Royals at Jaipur. Royal Challengers Bengaluru won that match by nine wickets. Kohli led three matches in 2011 and won two of them. He became the full time captain in 2013 and went on to lead the side in 143 IPL matches.
Steve Smith came close to Kohli in 2012. He captained Pune Warriors India at 22 years and 344 days, standing in for Sourav Ganguly. Smith is the only overseas captain in the top ten, and he later led Rising Pune Supergiant and Rajasthan Royals as well.
After Smith, the next new names arrived in stages. Shreyas Iyer took over Delhi Daredevils midway through 2018 after Gautam Gambhir stepped down, and he marked his first match as captain with an unbeaten 93 against Kolkata Knight Riders. Rishabh Pant followed in 2021, when he led Delhi Capitals for the full season after Iyer was injured. Rashid Khan joined the list in 2022, when he led Gujarat Titans against Chennai Super Kings while Hardik Pandya was unfit, and Gujarat Titans won a close match thanks to David Miller and a late cameo from Rashid himself.
Shubman Gill became Gujarat Titans captain in 2024 after Hardik Pandya moved back to Mumbai Indians, at 24 years and 198 days. Riyan Parag then moved into fourth place in 2025, when he led Rajasthan Royals at 23 years and 133 days while Sanju Samson was unavailable. The most recent change came in 2026, when Yashasvi Jaiswal led Rajasthan Royals against Gujarat Titans at 24 years and 132 days, standing in for Riyan Parag. That entry pushed Sam Curran out of the top ten. Curran captained Punjab Kings in 2023 at 24 years and 316 days, which now places him just outside the list.
What This Record Tells Us
Young captains in the IPL are usually trusted for a reason, not picked at random. Kohli had already led India to the Under 19 World Cup title in 2008. Iyer, Pant, Gill and Parag were all central batters for their sides when they got the job. Teams tend to hand the role to a young player they expect to build around for several seasons.
Stand in spells matter in this record. Kohli, Raina, Rashid Khan and Jaiswal all got their first chance because the regular captain was out. A short spell can still reveal a leader, and in Kohli’s case it led to one of the longest captaincy runs in IPL history.
The list is also heavily weighted towards batters. Nine of the ten names are batters or wicketkeeper batters. Rashid Khan is the only frontline bowler in the top ten, which shows how rarely teams ask a young bowler to carry the full captaincy load. For the longer captaincy stories behind several names here, see Shreyas Iyer IPL Captaincy Record and Stats, Rishabh Pant IPL Captaincy Record and Shubman Gill IPL Captaincy Record.
With IPL 2027 retention rules now in focus for franchises, the pattern is likely to continue. Teams that keep a young core together often keep a young captain with it, but beating Kohli’s mark of 22 years and 187 days would need a side to trust a player barely out of his teens with the top job.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the youngest captain in IPL history?
Virat Kohli is the youngest captain in IPL history. He first led Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2011 at 22 years and 187 days.
Has any teenager ever captained an IPL team?
No. The youngest captain so far was 22 years old, and every captain in the top ten was between 22 and 24 years old on debut as captain.
Who is the youngest overseas captain in IPL history?
Steve Smith is the youngest overseas captain in IPL history. He captained Pune Warriors India in 2012 at 22 years and 344 days.
Who is the most recent captain to enter the top ten?
Yashasvi Jaiswal is the most recent entry. He led Rajasthan Royals against Gujarat Titans in 2026 at 24 years and 132 days. Before him, Riyan Parag entered the list in 2025 at 23 years and 133 days.
Did Virat Kohli win his first match as IPL captain?
Yes. Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Rajasthan Royals by nine wickets at Jaipur in Kohli’s first match as captain in 2011.
Which youngest captains went on to long captaincy careers?
Virat Kohli led Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 143 IPL matches after his early stand in spell. Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill also moved from young captains to full time captains of their sides.
Why is Sam Curran not in the top ten?
Sam Curran captained Punjab Kings in 2023 at 24 years and 316 days. That age is older than Dinesh Karthik at 24 years and 292 days, so Curran sits just outside the top ten.
Who was the youngest captain before Virat Kohli?
Suresh Raina held the mark before Kohli. Raina captained Chennai Super Kings in 2010 at 23 years and 112 days, and Kohli beat that mark in 2011.
Statistics updated through: 3 November 2026
