Yashasvi Jaiswal joins youngest IPL captains list [Source: AFP]Yashasvi Jaiswal donned the captain’s hat for the first time in the IPL 2026 clash between the Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans held at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.RR captain Riyan Parag had picked up a hamstring injury and was forced out, as his deputy, Jaiswal, took over as stand-in skipper. However, the day was special for the young lad as he joined an elite list of captains to have served in the IPL.On that note, here’s a list of the youngest captains in IPL history.Dinesh Karthik - 24 years, 291 daysFormer wicketkeeper batter Dinesh Karthik captained KKR for a couple of seasons from 2018 to 2020 before handing it over to Eoin Morgan after a major slump. However, long before that, DK made his IPL captaincy debut in 2010 for Delhi Capitals when he was just 24 years old.Shubman Gill - 24 years, 198 daysStar Indian cricketer Shubman Gill made his captaincy debut in IPL 2024 when he led the Gujarat Titans. With Hardik Pandya departing for the Mumbai Indians in a high-profile trade, Gill was chosen as his successor when he was just 24 years old. Since then, he has led GT in three seasons.Yashasvi Jaiswal - 24 years, 132 daysAt just 24 years and 132 days old, Yashasvi Jaiswal made his IPL captaincy debut with the Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026. With Riyan Parag sitting out due to an injury, RR chose Jaiswal as the stand-in captain. It marked a special beginning for Yashasvi as he got to experience captaincy at a young age.Also Read - Bhuvneshwar Kumar Joins Elite Names: List Of Players With 200 And More Matches In IPLRashid Khan - 23 years, 209 daysBack in IPL 2022, Rashid Khan captained the Gujarat Titans in three games, thus making his captaincy debut at just 23 years old. He replaced Hardik Pandya when the skipper was injured, and under Rashid’s leadership, GT won one while losing 2 games as well.Rishabh Pant - 23 years, 188 daysRishabh Pant made his IPL captaincy debut at the young age of 23 back in the 2021 season. He was with the Delhi Capitals that year and had a decent season, scoring 419 runs in 16 games.Shreyas Iyer - 23 years, 142 daysEven Shreyas Iyer began his IPL captaincy journey young in 2018. He also led the Delhi Capitals after taking over the leadership charge from veteran Gautam Gambhir. However, after an injury, Iyer got replaced by Rishabh Pant and eventually exited the franchise.Riyan Parag - 23 years, 133 daysAs for Riyan Parag, he made his IPL captaincy debut at 23 years old with the Rajasthan Royals in 2025. With Sanju Samson unavailable due to recovery from finger surgery, Rajasthan Royals handed Parag captaincy duties for the opening phase of the tournament. He later took over as RR's full-time captain following Samson’s exit in 2026.Suresh Raina - 23 years, 112 daysSuresh Raina stepped into captaincy after MS Dhoni suffered an injury during IPL 2010, marking his debut as a leader. He later captained the Gujarat Lions as well when CSK and RR were banned for two seasons.Steve Smith - 22 years, 344 daysBefore becoming one of Australia’s modern batting greats, Steve Smith briefly captained Pune Warriors India during the 2012 season. Smith was handed leadership duties after Sourav Ganguly stepped aside late in a disappointing campaign. Smith later also had captaincy stints with franchises like the Rajasthan Royals and the Rising Pune Supergiant.Virat Kohli - 22 years, 187 daysIndian legend Virat Kohli still holds the record as the youngest captain in IPL history. Although he became RCB’s full-time captain only in 2013, his first opportunity came in 2011 when Daniel Vettori missed a match due to injury. He went on to captain RCB in 143 matches and transformed into one of the league’s greatest-ever batters and leaders.Also Read - Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Sets New All-Time T20 Record
