Shubman Gill has been chosen the new captain of the Gujarat Titans in the IPL, following Hardik Pandya’s return to the Mumbai Indians, the franchises announced on Monday. Hardik captained the Titans in 2022 and 2023, and Shubman Gill, 24, will take over as captain for the upcoming 2024 season.
Shubman Gill, who joined the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2018, was released before to the 2022 auction. The Titans had the opportunity to sign three players as a new IPL franchise in 2022, acquiring Gill, Hardik, and Rashid Khan for INR 7 crore and INR 15 crore, respectively.
Here are the three youngest Indian captains of an IPL franchise:
3. Shubman Gill*: 24 years
Shubman Gill, 24, will be one of the youngest Indian captains in the IPL. He has been in excellent form in short overs cricket, scoring 483 runs in 16 matches for Gujarat Titans in 2022, including an unbeaten 45 in the final against Rajasthan Royals.
He then took it a step further in 2023, finishing as the leading run-scorer in IPL 2023 with 890 runs in 17 innings. This achievement includes three century in a season that saw Gujarat Titans finish second to CSK.
2. Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, Suresh Raina: 23 years
Shreyas Iyer, who currently leads the Kolkata Knight Riders, first took on the captaincy during the 2018 season with the Delhi Capitals. This happened when Gautam Gambhir decided to sit out due to his poor form. At just 23 years, 3 months, and 21 days old, Iyer stepped up to lead the Capitals.
In an away match against Delhi Daredevils, Suresh Raina took on the role of captaincy at the young age of 23 years, 3 months, and 22 days. He filled in for MS Dhoni during this time.
The Delhi Capitals’ management had to make a snap choice when Shreyas Iyer had to have surgery during the 2021 season owing to an injury. Rishabh Pant, aged 23 years, 6 months, and 6 days, emerged as a favorite, because to his outstanding achievements in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Pant’s outstanding performances in international cricket cemented his status as the Delhi Capitals’ skipper in Iyer’s absence.
1. Virat Kohli: 22 years
Leading the India U-19 cricket team to win the 2008 World Cup, Virat Kohli proved his leadership potential. 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.
In 2011, a significant moment arrived for Kohli. He was just 22 years, 4 months, and 6 days old when he unexpectedly took on the role of captain for a match against Rajasthan Royals. This opportunity came about because the regular captain, Daniel Vettori, was injured. It was a turning point for Kohli’s journey as a leader.