Vaibhav Sooryavanshi etched his name in the record books on Saturday, November 14, by becoming the youngest captain in men's T20 cricket history. Aged 15 years and 232 days, the batter led Bihar against Saurashtra in their opening Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026 fixture at the Holkar Stadium in Indore.
The teenager won the toss and elected to bat first. Bihar entered the tournament after losing all four matches during the initial Ranji Trophy phase. Sooryavanshi is available for just one game in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy before departing to represent the national squad at the upcoming Emerging Asia Cup 2026.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Makes History as Bihar Captain at 15
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi became the youngest-ever captain in T20 cricket when he walked out to lead Bihar against Saurashtra. Speaking at the toss, the teenager also spoke about what the captaincy appointment meant to him, expressing gratitude for the opportunity to lead his state side.
"We are going to bat first, sir. (Reason?) Nothing much. The wicket looks good. It looks a bit dry as well. So, hopefully the spinners get some grip in the 2nd Innings. (On being appointed as the captain of Bihar) Of course sir. This is a big achievement for me. From where I started my cricket journey to lead that state, I am very grateful. I will try to fulfill my roles. (Team Combination) Sir, I have forgotten it (chuckles)."
This is not Sooryavanshi's first experience of leadership. He previously served as East Zone's vice-captain in the Duleep Trophy under Ishan Kishan. The youngster took charge when Kishan left the field due to an injury. East Zone won the title after securing a 372-run first-innings lead over South Zone in the drawn final.
Bihar vs Saurashtra Playing XIs
Bihar Playing XI: Vaibhav Suryavanshi (c), Aliya Kamara, Ayush Loharuka (wk), Altamish Ashraf, Prithvi Raj, Suraj Kashyap, Mayank Kumar, Raghuvendra Pratap Singh, Mohammed Izhar, Prashant Kumar Singh, Himanshu Singh.
Saurashtra Playing XI: Jaydev Unadkat (c), Vishvaraj Jadeja, Harvik Desai (wk), Prerak Mankad, Ruchit Ahir, Sammar Gajjar, Harvansh Singh, Chetan Sakariya, Parth Bhut, Siddhant Rana, Krains Fuletra.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's Remarkable Rise
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has enjoyed a remarkable rise over the past year. He smashed 175 against England in the Under-19 World Cup final and won the Player of the Tournament award. He then scored 776 runs at a strike rate of 237.30 for the Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026 to claim the Orange Cap.
His performances earned him a maiden T20I call-up. Although he did not feature in the series against Ireland, he made his international debut against England in Manchester in July. He subsequently remained on the bench during India's home series against Afghanistan and the series against West Indies.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has played T20Is in Japan, England and Zimbabwe but is yet to play an international match on home soil. He has featured in 44 professional T20 matches, including seven for Bihar. The southpaw scored an unbeaten 108 off 61 balls against Maharashtra at Eden Gardens last season.
The youngster is not part of India's current ODI squad and could feature for Bihar in the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy. His immediate assignment, however, is the Emerging Asia Cup after his one-match stint as Bihar captain.
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