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At 21 He Led India, How Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi Stood Taller Than His Age

Aakash Saini

Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi [Source: @ShuklaRajiv/x]Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi [Source: @ShuklaRajiv/x]

Indian Test cricket boasts a legacy steeped in resilience and timeless rivalries. Through iconic wins and some fierce battles, it has shaped the very soul of the sport in the country. Among the many honours it has to offer, none carries more weight, gravitas and scrutiny than the role of a captain.

And yet, in a chapter that marked a turning point in Indian cricket, this formidable responsibility was once placed on the shoulders of a young man of just 21. At the exact age of 21 years and 77 days, Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi was handed the reins of the national Test side, making him India’s youngest-ever Test captain to date. More broadly, he held the distinction of being the youngest captain in international Test history until Zimbabwe’s Tatenda Taibu surpassed the milestone in 2004.

The Time When India Bet On A 21-Year-Old

Following the esteemed legacy of his father, Indian prince and cricketer Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, a 21-year-old Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi was handed the national reins in March 1962, less than four months after making his Test debut for Team India, and less than a year after losing sight of his right eye due to a near-fatal car accident.

His first challenge? To lift India from a 0-2 deficit against a mighty Frank Worrell-led West Indies unit in a five-match Caribbean series, following the mid-tour exit of regular skipper Nari Contractor. The result? India ended up losing the series 0-5, marking a harsh initiation for the youngest Test captain.

In all, Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi led Team India in 40 Tests spanning 11 different series up until his farewell international match in January 1975 at the Wankhede Stadium.

Perhaps the biggest defining moment of his captaincy career came during India’s four-match tour of New Zealand in early 1968. On the heels of 0-3 whitewashes in England and Australia over the preceding 10 months, few gave India a chance to compete and fewer still to survive. And yet, amid all scepticism, Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi’s resilience guided the team to a historic 3-1 triumph, a feat that remained India’s only Test series win in New Zealand for over four decades, until MS Dhoni replicated it.

Nonetheless, with just nine wins, 19 defeats, and 12 draws from 40 Tests, the junior Pataudi’s numbers may not glitter on paper, but his impact on Indian cricket leadership remains unquestionable.