Rajasthan Royals star Vaibhav Suryavanshi gets leadership role as Sanju Samson plans exit

Vaibhav Suryavanshi, one of India’s most exciting young talents, has been named vice-captain of the Bihar cricket team for the first two rounds of the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 season. The Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) made this announcement on Sunday, October 12.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi will be the deputy of the captain, Sakibul Gani, in the upcoming Ranji Trophy 2025-26. Young opener’s promotion to vice-captain shows the faith the Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) has in his leadership skills, even at the tender age of 14.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi named Bihar’s vice-captain for Ranji Trophy 2025-26

This announcement came just two days before the start of the season, as the BCA had to quickly fill a vacancy in the selection panel following a directive from the BCCI. The association has been ordered to form a full five-member selection committee soon.

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Suryavanshi’s elevation to vice-captain is well-deserved, thanks to his brilliant recent performances with the India Under-19 team. On the tour of Australia, the left-handed batter impressed with a quick-fire 78-ball century in the first four-day match in Brisbane.

He amassed 133 runs in three innings, finishing as the second-highest run-scorer in the series and helping India clinch the series 2-0. Earlier this year, Suryavanshi’s form in England was equally spectacular, where he hit the fastest century in youth one-day cricket with 143 runs in Worcester.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s sensational year of batting

The 14-year-old batter had scored 355 runs at a remarkable strike rate of 174.01, finishing as the top scorer across five matches in England.

Despite his great potential, Suryavanshi has had limited experience in first-class cricket due to his Under-19 commitments. Since making his Ranji Trophy debut in the 2023-24 season at just 12 years and 284 days, he has played only five first-class matches.

Earlier this year, Suryavanshi also scripted history in the IPL 2025. He became the youngest centurion in men’s T20 cricket, smashing 101 off just 38 balls for Rajasthan Royals against Gujarat Titans in Jaipur.

Additionally, Vaibhav made history as the youngest player ever picked in the IPL at the age of 13. He finished the IPL 2025 season with 252 runs at a jaw-dropping strike rate of 206.55.

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Vaibhav Suryavanshi to lead Bihar’s charge as they aim for Elite League comeback

Meanwhile, the Bihar cricket team is looking to bounce back after a tough 2024-25 Ranji season. They failed to win a single game in seven games last season and suffered relegation from the Plate League. Bihar will kick off the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 season against Arunachal Pradesh in Patna on October 15, followed by their second match against Manipur in Nadiad on October 25.

The BCA hopes Suryavanshi’s inclusion and leadership will inspire the Bihar team to perform better and make a strong push to return to the Elite League. However, it is unlikely he will play the entire Ranji season, as he is also set to play in the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2026.

Bihar Squad for Ranji Trophy 2025-26:

Sakibul Gani (c), Vaibhav Suryavanshi (vc), Piyush Kumar Singh, Bhashkar Dubey, Arnav Kishor, Ayush Loharuka, Bipin Saurabh, Amod Yadav, Nawaz Khan, Sakib Hussain, Raghvendra Pratap Singh, Sachin Kumar Singh, Himanshu Singh, Khalid Alam, Sachin Kumar.