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Three youngest captains to win ODI World Cup title
The upcoming ODI World Cup 2023 will start on October 5. It will be the 13th edition of the Men’s ODI World Cup. England will be the defending champions while the likes of India, Pakistan, Australia, and Sri Lanka will look to regain their lost glory. On the other hand, the likes of New Zealand, South Africa, etc. will look to win their first.
Over the years, 10 captains have managed to win the World Cup titles. The likes of Clive Llyod (West Indies) and Ricky Ponting (Australia) have managed to win back-to-back titles. Meanwhile, in this listicle, we will discuss the three youngest captains to win ODI World Cup titles.
Three youngest captains to win ODI World Cup
Image: Instagram Kapil Dev
- Kapil Dev
The former India skipper led the team during the historic 1983 World Cup campaign. Ahead of the tournament, he made a statement about trying to win despite not being the contenders, having lost to the lowest divisions teams in warm-ups. Meanwhile, the team reached the final and played the then-defending champions, West Indies.
After India rather upset the Caribbeans, Dev was a tad over 24 years old at the time. He was one of the first players who believed that the team could do it.
Ricky Ponting in 2003 World Cup final (Image Credit: Twitter)
2. Ricky Ponting
The former Australia skipper was leading his side for the first time in a World Cup in 2003. The team was the defending champions but had left out their previous skipper Steve Waugh in exchange for Andrew Symonds. The latter’s inclusion proved useful as he bashed Pakistan and Sri Lanka in important games.
The final against India was one of those games where the Kangaroos dominated. At the time of winning the World Cup, Ponting was only 28 years old.
MS Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir (Source – Twitter)
3. MS Dhoni
After Kapil Dev, Dhoni is the second skipper to win an ODI World Cup. Having faced a shocking disappointment in 2007 (having lost to low-strength Bangladesh) in the first round, the Men In Blue had a point to prove at home (although the tournament’s hosting was shared among India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka).
Meanwhile, in the final, India and Sri Lanka locked horns and the home side, India, chased a record total of 275. At the time, Dhoni was only 29 years old.