Only a select few captains possess the qualities necessary to guide their team to victory in major international competitions. Many come and go. Eight distinct captains have led a winning team in the competition final since the T20 World Cup was first introduced in 2007. India won the inaugural tournament under the capable captaincy of MS Dhoni, who was recently appointed. After that, notable captains like Younis Khan and Daren Sammy have also guided their respective countries to win the trophy in later iterations.
At the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Saturday, June 29, India, under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, and South Africa, under the direction of Aiden Markram, will square off in the ongoing 2024 edition. If the Men in Blue prevail, Rohit will become the oldest captain in history; nevertheless, the South African captain might become the third-youngest captain to lead a T20 World Cup winning team.
We’ll look at the top 5 youngest captains who have guided their teams in T20 World Cup finals today:
1. 32 Years 66 Days – Jos Buttler
England and Pakistan faced off in the championship match of the highly anticipated tournament in 2022. After crushing India in the Adelaide semi-final, the Englishmen advanced to the summit match. At the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, Buttler’s bowlers bowled first in the thrilling match. They held Pakistan to a low score of 137/8, which the Three Lions easily chased down in 19 overs with five wickets remaining. Now that they had the title, Buttler was the fifth-youngest captain to win the competition.
2. 31 Years 204 Days – Younis Khan
2009 saw Younis Khan, an accomplished player, take over as captain. Pakistan returned to the tournament determined to defeat Sri Lanka’s might, having lost by the narrowest of margins in the previous edition. At the Lord’s, the scene was set, and Sri Lanka batted first. With a valiant 64 off 52 balls, captain Kumar Sangakkara prevented his team’s collapse. It was insufficient, though, as Shahid Afridi’s 54 runs off 40 balls made sure that the Men in Green would not be hindered from a glorious second finale. Adding a feather to his crown, Younis Khan was overjoyed to have led the team to victory.
3. 30 Years 221 Days – Lasith Malinga
Sri Lanka participated in the competition for the third time in a row in 2014, this time against India. The Men in Blue, led by MS Dhoni, had a chance to duplicate their 2007 victory, but the Sri Lankans had other ideas. The Indians laboured mightily to get a low total when they batted first. As a result of Thisara Perera’s game-winning run in the Lankan chase, Lasith Malinga became the third-youngest captain to win a trophy at the Shere Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka.
4. 28 Years 292 Days – Darren Sammy
The winners of the first ODI World Cup advanced to the T20 World Cup final in Colombo, where they faced the host nation, Sri Lanka, in 2012. After a disastrous batting collapse on a challenging surface, Marlon Samuels helped the Windies team rally from a disastrous 20 overs, taking them to 137/6 under Daren Sammy’s leadership. With three and two wickets taken, respectively, Sunil Narine and Sammy took matters into their own hands in their defence. With Sammy overtaking Younis to become the second-youngest, the Lankans were hustled out for 101.
Also read: 3 T20 World Cup records that may never be broken
5. 26 Years 79 Days – MS Dhoni
The tournament’s first-ever final pitted bitter rivals India and Pakistan against one another at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. Gautam Gambhir hit a valiant 75 runs to help India, captained by MS Dhoni, reach a respectable total when they batted first. Misbah-ul-Haq stood between India and victory in the chase, and it all came down to a last-over finish. Nevertheless, Sreesanth made a catch under extreme duress after Joginder Sharma delivered a deceptive ball, and India won the match by a mere five runs. Dhoni’s career in Indian cricket began with this, and he would go on to win two more trophies at ICC competitions.
India
