Zach Vukusic from Croatia has achieved something incredible in cricket. At 17 years and 311 days old, he has become the youngest person to ever captain a team in international cricket. He led Croatia in a series of 4 T20 matches against Cyprus at the Mladost Cricket Ground in Zagreb. He is also the first 17 year old to ever captain a team in a major cricket event.
Before Vukusic, the record for the youngest captain from a Test playing country was held by Rashid Khan, the famous Afghan legspinner. Khan was 19 years and 165 days old when he captained Afghanistan in a T20 match against Scotland in March 2018. Other young players have also had the chance to lead their countries. For example, in 2022, Noman Amjad captained France against the Czech Republic when he was 18 years and 24 days old.
Youngest Players To Captain Team In International Cricket
| S. No | Name | Age | Team | Format | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zach Vukusic | 17 years 311 days | Croatia | T20I | August, 2025 |
| 2 | Noman Amjad | 18 years 24 days | France | T20I | July, 2022 |
| 3 | Carl Hartmann | 18 years 276 days | Isle of Man | T20I | February, 2023 |
| 4 | Luwsanzundui Erdenebulgan | 18 years 324 days | Mongolia | T20I | September, 2023 |
| 5 | Rashid Khan | 19 years 165 days | Afghanistan | ODI | March, 2018 |
But Vukusic’s captaincy debut wasn’t ideal. Croatia lost both games against Cyprus.
In the first game, Cyprus scored 213/3 in 20 overs at the Mladost Cricket Ground. Croatia tried to chase but could only manage 155/6 in 20 overs and lost by 58 runs.
In the second game, Croatia batted first and were all out for 132. That wasn’t a tough target for Cyprus who reached it in 15.5 overs and won by 7 wickets.
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So far, the 17 year old has played 7 matches for Croatia and scored 205 runs with his highest score being 53. He played his first international game in July 2024 against Switzerland.
In this series against Cyprus, Vukusic has scored 75 runs in 3 innings and averages 25 per innings. Although he has shown promise as a player, his first experience as captain has been tough, with his team losing all 3 games.
