3 Players who debuted under a leader they later captained
Virat Kohli (Source: Getty Images)
Published - 25 Aug 2026, 04:33 AM• Read time - 2 mins
Making one’s debut at the international level is a dream of every player, and wearing the national jersey for the first time is a surreal feeling. In the history of cricket, there have been several players who’ve made their debuts and gone on to become legends of the sport.
However, there have also been a few players who made their debuts under the captaincy of a player they later went on to captain themselves. Here are three such cricketers in international cricket:
1. Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni
Virat Kohli made his international debut for India in an ODI on 18th August 2008 against Sri Lanka under MS Dhoni’s leadership. While Kohli took some time to establish himself at the highest level, he had the backing of Dhoni in his early years, who gave him the safety cushion to flourish at the highest level.
Kohli eventually became a match-winner across formats and took over the Test captaincy in 2014. He later became India's limited-overs captain as well, succeeding Dhoni in 2017 and the wicketkeeper batter played under his leadership until his retirement in 2020.
2. Angelo Mathews and Mahela Jayawardene
Angelo Mathews made his international debut for Sri Lanka during an ODI against Zimbabwe on November 28, 2008, under Mahela Jayawardene’s captaincy.
Mathews gradually became an important all-rounder for Sri Lanka and was eventually handed greater leadership responsibilities. He went on to lead his nation in all three formats as Jayawardene played the last few years of his career under Mathews’ captaincy.
3. Babar Azam and Azhar Ali
Babar Azam made his international debut for Pakistan during an ODI against Zimbabwe on 31 May 2015, under Azhar Ali’s captaincy. Babar immediately showed glimpses of his enormous batting potential with his remarkable consistency right from his early years.
As Babar's stature grew, so did his leadership responsibilities. He was appointed Pakistan’s all-format captain, and Azhar Ali played the last few years of his Test career under Babar’s captaincy.