The left-handed English batsman, Jacob Bethell, has become the youngest England cricket captain, starting from the three-match T20I series against Ireland in Dublin. With this, the 21-year-old breaks the record held by Monty Bowden since 1889, who captained the English side at just 23 years and 144 days old.
Bethell is set to captain the England side against Ireland in the absence of the skipper, Harry Brook, for the three-match T20I series happening on September 17, 19, and 21, respectively.
[REPORT] Youngest England Cricket Captain Ever
A huge milestone in the cricket fraternity, as the 21-year-old Jacob Bethell is set to become the youngest England cricket captain, breaking the 136-year-old record previously held by Monty Bowden during 1888-89. Bethell has only been playing in England for a year, where he made his debut in the international side in a T20I against Australia.
Although he lacks experience in captaincy, having played with England Under-19s and the second team of Warwickshire, he has been mature and able to lead the team with the type of leadership quality he carries. While the world is revolving around the record-breaking captaincy age, it should be noted that the absence of the regular skipper, Harry Brook, allowed him to lead the side in the T20I series against Ireland in Dublin, happening on September 17, 19, and 21.
However, right before the series with Ireland, England will clash with South Africa in a T20I and ODI series, which will be led by Harry Brook himself. Talking about the stats, the all-rounder, Jacob, has played in all formats of the game. In his entire career, he has played 13 T20Is, 12 ODIs, and 3 Test matches, respectively.
With an average of 40.14, Bethell is the perfect candidate for leading the English side, particularly in the T20I side, which will also be observed by the ECB as a part of building him into a future star.
On Wednesday, Jacob Bethell will become the youngest player to captain England in a men’s international.
It’s been quite the year for the 21-year-old since he made his debut. pic.twitter.com/j3GkPPrxmH
— Test Match Special (@bbctms) September 16, 2025
Format | Matches | Runs | Highest Score | Average | Strike Rate | 50s | 100s | 200s |
IPL | 2 | 67 | 55 | 33.5 | 171.79 | 1 | - | - |
ODI | 15 | 486 | 110 | 40.5 | 101.88 | 4 | 1 | - |
T20I | 15 | 314 | 62* | 34.88 | 157 | 2 | - | - |
Test | 4 | 271 | 96 | 38.71 | 69.3 | 3 | - | - |
In addition to this, England men’s selector Luke Wright made a bold statement on Friday, saying, “Jacob Bethell has impressed with his qualities as a leader since the time he has been with the England squads, and the series against Ireland will give him the chance to work on his skills even more within the international arena.”
Amit Mishra’s Take
From the writer’s point of view, it is astonishing to see young players like Jacob Bethell setting an example of what young athletes can achieve in the world of experienced and well-established players. Having no experience of captaincy, the ECB should be thanked enough for the opportunity they have given to Jacob to lead the English side.
However, it should be carefully observed that the way Jacob will be leading the side should be carefully observed since the T20I matches against Ireland will be crucial ones for the team as well as management. As a cricket fan, I cannot wait to see Jacob representing the team, all the young players in front of the world, as the youngest England cricket captain ever.
