The Men’s ODI World Cup has seen 12 editions since its inception in 1975, and six teams have lifted the coveted trophy. Among the ten winning captains, Ricky Ponting and Clive Lloyd have won twice each. However, who are the youngest captains to have achieved this honor?
Here are the five youngest captains who lifted the Men’s ODI World Cup:
Kapil Dev achieved this feat in 1983 when the Indian team beat the mighty West Indies against all odds. Kapil Dev led by example, showcasing his skills in batting, bowling, and fielding. His innings of 175 against Zimbabwe, after his team was reduced to 17/5, remains one of the best in the history of ODI cricket. Kapil Dev’s biggest asset was his belief in his team, which inspired his team members to achieve the unthinkable and win the World Cup. He was slightly above 24 when he lifted the World Cup.
Ricky Ponting won two World Cups as the captain of Australia in 2003 and 2007, in which Australia was undefeated throughout the tournament. Ponting inspired a legendary Australian team to win the 2003 edition in South Africa, where the unstoppable Aussies beat Pakistan, India, Netherlands, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and England. In the final, Ponting scored an unbeaten 140 and named Man of the Match as Australia won with a margin of 125 runs.
MS Dhoni played an important role in guiding India to a famous win in the 2011 edition with veterans like Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh, and Ashish Nehra, with young players Piyush Chawla, Ravichandran Ashwin, Yousuf Pathan, Munaf Patel, Suresh Raina, and S Sreesanth. As a captain, Dhoni was one of the sharpest India has ever had in limited-overs cricket. In the final, his unbeaten match-winning knock of 91 helped India chase 275, and he was named Man of the Match.
Clive Lloyd won two World Cups as the captain of West Indies in the 1975 and 1979 editions, where his team was unbeaten. Lloyd was instrumental in leading his team to glory, with a brilliant knock of 102 from just 85 balls in the 1975 finals against Australia, helping West Indies score 291.
Allan Border was the captain of the Australian team that won the 1987 edition of the World Cup under his leadership. Border contributed 31 in the summit clash against England, where Australia scored 253, and England fell short of the target by just seven runs. The 1987 win was Australia’s first, and they have won the coveted trophy four more times since then.
In conclusion, these five young captains will always be remembered for their leadership skills and exceptional performances, inspiring their teams to lift the Men’s ODI World Cup.
