Oldest Captains to win a men’s T20 Final

Former South African spinner and the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) legend, Imran Tahir, created history on September 23 (Sunday), by leading the Guyana Amazon Warriors to their maiden Caribbean Premier League (CPL 2023) title win. Tahir had previously won the Purple Cap for most wickets in IPL 2019. He was also a part of the Chennai Super Kings IPL 2018 champion side.

Under his captaincy, Guyana finished at the top of the CPL 2023 points table by winning eight matches out of 10 played in the league stage. However, they were defeated in the 1st Qualifier by Trinbago Knight Riders. They had to defeat Jamaica Tallawahs in the second Qualifier to make it into the final.

In the final, Guyana defeated Trinbago Knight Riders to win the CPL 2023 title and thanks to this, Imran Tahir became the oldest captain to win a Men’s T20 final.

Here are the Oldest Captains to win a men’s T20 final:

 

4. Shane Warne (38 Years & 262 days, IPL 2008)

Shane Warne. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Shane Warne was picked in the inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL) 2008 auction by Rajasthan Royals. He was then made the captain of the side and also the coach. RR in those days had many unknown players in their squad and was the cheapest team in the IPL 2008.

Warne was called the best captain Australia ever had. He led the young and experienced mixed squad with confidence. He had retired from international cricket in 2007, but his zeal to do well was intact. Rajasthan looked the weakest on paper ahead of the tournament but it was the leadership qualities of Warne which made the difference.

RR defeated Chennai Super Kings in the final of IPL 2008 in Navi Mumbai in the final under Shane Warne’s captaincy, who was 38 years and 262 days old. And it remains their only IPL title win to date.

 

3. Misbah-Ul-Haq (41 Years & 271 days, PSL 2016)

Misbah-ul-Haq. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Former Pakistan captain Misbah Ul Haq captained the Islamabad United franchise in the first-ever edition of the Pakistan Super League in 2016. The PSL 2016 was played in the UAE, due to the unrest in the country and the hesitation of foreign players to travel to Pakistan. The five franchises played one another twice in a round-robin format.

The Islamabad United qualified for the final after winning the Eliminator and the Qualifier 2. The United defeated Karachi Kings and Peshawar Zalmi respectively. In the PSL 2016 final, Misbah Ul Haq’s United team defeated Quetta Gladiators led by Sarfaraz Ahmed. Misbah was the one to hit the winning run and at 41 years and 271 days, became one of the oldest players to captain a side to a T20 title win.

 

2. MS Dhoni (41 Years & 325 days, IPL 2023)

MS Dhoni and Hardik Pandya (Photo Source: Getty Images)

MS Dhoni might have retired from international cricket in 2017, but since then, he has led the Chennai Super Kings to the Indian Premier League title glory three times. The CSK franchise made a comeback into the IPL fold in 2018. This was after two years of suspension and MS Dhoni captained the side to the title that year.

The CSK side won the IPL in 2021 as well and many thought that the IPL 2023 would be MS Dhoni’s final tournament. Finally, the Covid pandemic was over and the IPL 2023 was to be played on a home and away basis, giving MS Dhoni a chance to say goodbye. And like a dream fairytale, the CSK franchise dominated the tournament and was the first team to qualify for the final.

They clashed with defending champions Gujarat Titans in the summit clash and defeated them in one of the most exciting finals off the last ball. At 41 years and 325 days, MS Dhoni became a five-time IPL-winning captain. As a gift to his fans, he said that he’ll try his best to come back for IPL 2024.

 

1. Imran Tahir (44 Years & 181 days, CPL 2023)

CPL 2023. (Photo Source: Twitter )

Imran Tahir, the former South Africa leg-spinner broke records when at 44 years and 181 days, he captained the Guyana Amazon Warriors to the Caribbean Premier League (CPL 2023) title on Sunday, September 24. This ended the team’s 10-year wait to become champions. Tahir became the oldest captain to lead his side to a T20 trophy win.

Despite retiring from international cricket in 2019, Tahir has continued to play in T20 leagues around the world. Tahir was very emotional after the victory and thanked the fans and the supporters for coming in large numbers and supporting the franchise. He also finished as the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament, with 18 scalps in 13 matches.