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The Indian domestic season is already underway with Irani Cup was the first tournament that was played and now the Ranji Trophy has been ongoing. Amidst this, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy is set to take place, starting on November 14, 2026, and running through December 6, 2026. Ahead of the tournament, Bihar has announced its squad, with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi named captain.
The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) is India’s premier domestic Twenty20 cricket tournament, organized annually by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and named after the legendary Indian Test cricketer Syed Mushtaq Ali. From this tournament there are several players after good performances have went on to play the IPL and team India as well.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi named as captain for SMAT
The Bihar Cricket Association has named a 17-member squad for the SMAT, with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi named captain. This is a big step forward for the boy wonder, who is just 15 years old and has experience leading the East Zone side, while Ishan Kishan was absent during the tournament. He was the vice-captain of the side in the Duleep Trophy.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is the youngest player to captain a team in a tournament. No other player at the age of 15 has ever achieved this milestone. He previously made headlines as the youngest player to score a century in the tournament in the last edition when he was just 14. He would look to create history and make a mark with his leadership.
Has Vaibhav Sooryavanshi led the side previously?
Previously, in January 2026, he captained the India U19 cricket team in the opening match of the 3-match Youth ODI series at Willowmoore Park in Benoni, becoming the youngest player in the world to captain a side in Youth ODIs. He was also the vice-captain of the U-19 side that won the World Cup.
The 15-year-old boy wonder was also the vice-captain of the Bihar team during the initial phase of the Ranji Trophy. However, despite being unavailable for the state team due to his commitment to the India team.
"Vaibhav has already demonstrated tremendous talent": Harsh Vardhan on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi named as captain
BCA president Harsh Vardhan has backed Vaibhav as captain and stated that it will help him grow as a player and a leader as well. They are hopeful that the team will do well under the 15-year-old cricketer.
"Vaibhav has already demonstrated tremendous talent, confidence and maturity at a young age, and this responsibility will provide him with another opportunity to grow as a cricketer and leader.
"We are hopeful that under Vaibhav's leadership, the team will deliver a disciplined, competitive and effective performance while representing the state in the upcoming season," he said, as quoted by NDTV.
Bihar Team for SMAT: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Captain), Alok Kumar, Ayush Loharuka (Wicketkeeper), Altamash Ashraf, Param Kumar Singh, Anmol Kumar (Wicketkeeper), Ritwik Raj, Suraj Kashyap (Vice-Captain), Mayank Kumar, Raghvendra Pratap, Ashish Kumar, Vasudev Pratap Singh, Mohammad Izhar, Amod Yadav, Prashant Singh, Nawaz Khan and Himanshu Singh.
Also Read: Karnataka announce SMAT 2026-27 squad for first three matches, Devdutt Padikkal misses out
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