-By Jaya Pathak
You ever think about how crazy it is that some kids are playing international cricket before they can legally vote? Like seriously. Imagine, in a stadium full of crowd, these young boys are facing international players, dealing with all sort of pressures which can even make most adults cry. Meanwhile their classmates are worried about half yearly exams. Sounds insane.
In this blog, we are going to discuss about the top 10 youngest cricket players who made history.
- Hasan Raza
Pakistan. 1996. This guy named Hasan Raza supposedly became the youngest Test player ever. 14 years, 227 days. October 24th. Zimbabwe. But here’s the catch – and it’s a big one. People literally don’t know if his age was real. Commentators as well as players questioned his age and this raises suspicion during that decade.
His actual cricket career? Seven Tests. 235 runs. That’s basically nothing. He didn’t go anywhere after that initial debut. But weirdly, his whole age controversy thing forced cricket to actually verify players properly. So like, accidentally helpful.
- Mushtaq Mohammad
Different story entirely. Mushtaq was 15 years, 124 days. West Indies. March 1959. Lahore. And then he just… kept going. Like for real. Decades of cricket. He secured over 3000 run entrust. Is an all-rounder player. He scored a century in Test match when he was just 17 years old and this record lasted up to more than 40 years. Later became Pakistan’s captain. Coached them. It was legit.
- Mohammad Sharif
Bangladesh needed young players back then. Though his career was not that much long lasting, but he mattered for Bangladesh at that time. They were building. He was part of it.
- Aaqib Javed
But Aaqib made his mark anyway. 200+ international wickets. Played in the 1992 World Cup win – actually contributed when other guys got hurt. Not famous like Wasim or Waqar. But he did the job and then went into coaching which is perfectly fine.
- Sachin Tendulkar
This guy though. He didn’t just debut young. He stayed good. For 24 years. 100 centuries. A HUNDRED. Like that’s not a typo. 15,921 Test runs. 18,426 ODI runs. First person to score a double century in ODI cricket.
Most young players have one good spell then fade. Sachin was consistently excellent for literal decades. That’s the difference. That’s why everyone knows his name.
- Naseem Shah
People immediately knew this kid was different.
Then like weeks later – December 2019 – he gets 5 wickets against Sri Lanka. Youngest pace bowler to do it. Then a hat-trick months later. Also, youngest. 50 Test wickets in just 17 matches. Shows what happens when you’ve got modern support systems. Structure. Good coaching. Not just raw talent anymore.
- Aftab Baloch
Two Tests total. And they were six years apart. Like he debuted young and then… nothing. Just disappeared basically. Why does this matter? It shows that even you are extremely talented, sometimes things doesn’t work for you.
- Rashid Khan – Afghanistan Changed
Rashid started at 16. That was notable enough. Time flipped. Now, who doesn’t know him!! Youngest ever to hit number one. Only teenager to ever do it in any format. Took 16 wickets in five Zimbabwe matches. His leg-spin was just different. Like nobody had seen bowling quite like that from someone his age. What’s crazy is what he did for Afghanistan. Made them relevant. People became attentive towards cricket.
- Vaibhav Suryavanshi
It was December 2025. Just literally happened. This 14-year-old Indian kid- Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who played list A cricket. He scored a century in 36 balls. Youngest century in List A history. Previous record was 1986.
Also youngest IPL century. Youngest T20 records. Everything he does comes with a record apparently. Fans and critics often call him the next Sachin.
10.Mujeeb Ur Rahman
Debuted against India, at 16. Took 5 wickets consecutively in a match and became youngest to do this. But here’s the thing – he’s a spinner. Not a fast bowler like most of the others. Shows Afghanistan’s got variety. Not just one player. Multiple talents coming up.
Conclusion
So, these ten kids all had different outcomes. Some became legendary. Some didn’t last. All of them showed that age is just a number in some cases.
Sachin proved that early talent plus dedication equals a real career. Mushtaq did too. Aftab showed it doesn’t always pan out. Rashid changed his entire country’s standing. Vaibhav is still early but looks promising.
What’s interesting is they all had an impact beyond just their stats. Made people rethink what’s possible. Created controversies that led to better rules. Showed real lessons about youth talent.
As T20 leagues keep expanding and cricket changes, more young records will probably fall. Organizations just need to figure out how to balance opportunities with actually taking care of these kids – education, welfare, all that. ,These players show it can happen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the reason behind countries having so many young players?
A: Cricket’s just huge there. Like it’s not just a sport, it’s cultural. They have systems to find talent young. Less hesitant to put kids in international matches. Creates opportunities that other countries don’t really have.
Q: Do young debuts always work out?
A: No. Sachin and Mushtaq became legends. Aftab just faded. There’s no guarantee. Depends on so many things – performance, support, luck, avoiding injuries, mental strength. Lots of variables.
Q: What’s actually dangerous about debuting young?
A: Bodies are still growing. Minds too. The pressure can be brutal. Kids sacrifice education. Getting hurt is more likely when young bodies face international cricket demands. Not everyone handles it well.
Q: Did anything change after these early debuts?
A: Yes. Age verification got way stricter. Cricket boards started caring more about education and welfare. Some countries made age-group competitions. But it varies. Not everywhere is the same.
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