youngest players Since its inception in 2008, the Indian Premier League (IPL) has steadily evolved into the most prestigious and competitive cricket league in the world. The tournament has nurtured numerous young talents, including batters, bowlers, all-rounders, and captains.
Over the course of 17 editions, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI) have each won the title five times, making them the most successful teams. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) is another team that has claimed the title more than once, alongside CSK and MI.
Here are the top five youngest captains in IPL history:
5. Shreyas Iyer (23 years 142 days)
Shreyas Iyer is the fifth youngest captain to ever lead an IPL team. He took over the captaincy of Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) at just 23 years old. Iyer made his captaincy debut against Kolkata Knight Riders when Delhi’s regular skipper, Gautam Gambhir, stepped down during the 2018 IPL. He led Delhi to back-to-back wins against CSK and MI. Iyer captained the Delhi-based team until IPL 2021 and even guided them to a final before joining KKR, where he won his first IPL trophy.
4. Riyan Parag (23 years 133 days)
Riyan Parag is the latest addition to this list. He captained for the first time in the IPL when Sanju Samson was ruled out of the team’s first three matches in IPL 2025 due to injury. Consequently, the team played Samson as an Impact Player and appointed Parag as the stand-in captain. Parag made his captaincy debut against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) but ended up on the losing side as his team failed to chase a massive target of 287 runs. The 23-year-old had a breakthrough IPL campaign in 2024 after a series of disappointing performances for the Royals.
3. Suresh Raina (23 years 112 days)
Known as Mr. IPL, Suresh Raina is the third youngest player to captain an IPL franchise. He was given the responsibility of leading CSK for three games in 2010 when MS Dhoni was injured. Raina made an impactful start, scoring 49 runs in his first match as captain against Delhi Daredevils. He also captained Gujarat Lions for a couple of seasons and led them to a top-of-the-table finish in 2016.
2. Steve Smith (22 years 344 days)
Australian batsman Steve Smith is the only overseas player in this list. He holds the record as the second youngest captain in IPL history. Smith made his captaincy debut for the now-defunct Pune Warriors against RCB in 2012, stepping in for Sourav Ganguly in one match. The Warriors finished last in the league stage that year. Smith also captained Rajasthan Royals, leading them to a 15-12 record from 27 games.
1. Virat Kohli (22 years 187 days)
Virat Kohli is the youngest captain in IPL history. Kohli has represented only one franchise, RCB, since the inception of the IPL. His first match as captain was in 2011 against Rajasthan Royals, filling in for Daniel Vettori, who was injured. Kohli fully took over the captaincy in 2013 and won both of his opening games. The highest run-scorer in IPL history, Kohli captained RCB in 143 IPL games, leading them to the playoffs four times and finishing as runners-up in 2016.
