Oldest Indian Players To Make ODI Debuts

Aakash Saini

Oldest Indian players To Make ODI debuts [Source: AP Photos]Oldest Indian players To Make ODI debuts [Source: AP Photos]

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Over 250 cricketers so far have received the opportunity of gracing the Indian colors in ODIs. While some of them have been fortunate enough to embrace the thrill and excitement of India’s limited-overs action at a younger age, others made it into the national playing XI a bit later in their respective careers.

Celebrating India’s rich ODI history, we take a look at five of the oldest Indian cricketers who received their maiden ODI caps.

5. Syed Abid Ali – 32 years and 307 days

Syed Abid Ali made his ODI debut nearly seven years after playing his first Test match for India. Facing England at Headingley in Leeds on July 13, 1974; Syed’s ODI debut also coincided with India’s first-ever brush with the limited-overs format in international cricket. Aged 32 years and 307 days at the time, the fast bowler went wicketless during his expensive nine-over outing as India lost the match by four wickets.

He went on to play just four more ODI matches for Team India, with the last of them being India’s 1975 World Cup clash against New Zealand in Manchester the following year.

4. Dilip Joshi – 32 years and 350 days

Left-arm spinner Dilip Joshi graduated to India’s ODI ranks a year after playing his first Test match for the country. Crossing paths against Australia at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground on December 6, 1980 during the Benson & Hedges World Series Cup at the age of 32 years and 350 days, Joshi picked up a match-winning three-wicket haul, conceding just 32 runs in the process in his 10 overs. Wrecking Australia’s middle order with the key scalps of Allan Border, Doug Walters and then captain Greg Chappell, Joshi headlined India’s 66-run win over the hosts.

Overall, he went on to play 15 ODIs for Team India until December 1982, picking up 22 wickets at an average of 23.81.


3. Ajit Wadekar – 33 years and 103 days

Ajit Wadekar made his ODI debut at an age of 33 years and 103 days, when he went up against hosts England at Leeds on July 13, 1974; i.e., the day of India’s first-ever ODI match. Moreover, Wadekar also became India’s first-ever captain to mark the celebrated occasion, and scored a fighting 67 from 82 balls with 10 regal boundaries to counter England’s raging bowlers.

Despite having the potential to make it big in India’s limited-overs pantheon, Ajit Wadekar played just one more ODI a couple of days later at The Oval.

2. Varun Chakravarthy – 33 years and 164 days

Indian spinner Varun Chakravarthy received his first ODI cap after playing 18 T20I matches for the country since playing his first international back in July 2021. The tearaway leg-spinner was included in India’s playing XI during a pre-Champions Trophy 2025 match against England at Cuttack’s Barabati Stadium on February 9, 2025.

Becoming India’s 259th player to receive an ODI cap, Varun Chakravarthy also became the second oldest Indian cricketer in history to grace the format, doing so at an age of 33 years and 164 days.

1. Farookh Engineer – 36 years and 138 days

Former Indian wicketkeeper-batter Farokh Engineer was part of India’s first-ever ODI playing XI against in Leeds on July 13, 1974. At an age of 36 years and 138 days and holding over a decade’s worth of international experience with multiple Test appearances, Engineer kept wickets for India and scored a fighting 32 from 51 balls with the bat in the game.

The cricketer was also a part of the Indian team that travelled to England the following year for the 1975 ODI World Cup. Incidentally, the tournament turned out to be his last ODI gig for Team India.