Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is Bihar’s captain at 15 and is leading the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy team

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is set to take up his first captaincy assignment in senior cricket after being named Bihar captain for the opening two matches of the 2026-27 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The 15-year-old batting sensation will lead the state in the domestic T20 tournament, which begins on November 14.

The Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) selection committee has selected a 17-member squad for the first two matches to be played in Indore. Sooryavanshi is expected to start for Bihar before joining the India A squad for the Rising Stars Asia Cup later this month.

For a player who has already established himself at international and domestic level, this is a considerable responsibility. Last season, Sooryavanshi was named vice-captain of Bihar’s Ranji Trophy team for the opening two matches, with Sakibul Gani in charge. He made his first-class debut for Bihar aged just 12 against Mumbai in January 2024.

Sooryavanshi also has experience in managing age group cricket. He captained India Under-19s during their three-match Youth ODI tour of South Africa in January, with regular skipper Ayush Mhatre unavailable due to injury. Subsequently, he was part of the Indian team that won the U19 World Cup in February, although Mhatre led the side in the tournament.

The appointment comes after Sooryavanshi returned from New Zealand, where he featured in the recently concluded five-match T20I series. Opportunities at the international level are limitedwith Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson ahead of him in India’s opening combination. The teenager started in two matches on the tour.

BIHAR CRICKET SOORYAVANSHI BACK AS CAPTAIN

One of these climbs produced an unforgettable performance. Sooryavanshi blasted 45 off just 19 balls in the third T20I in Wellington, combining with Abhishek to give India a record start. The pair put on 118 for no loss in the first six overs, setting a new record for the highest powerplay total in men’s T20I cricket. Abhishek went on to score 113 off 38 balls as India chased down New Zealand’s target of 199 runs.

BCA president Harsh Vardhan said the captaincy will give Sooryavanshi an opportunity to grow as a leader.

“Vaibhav has shown tremendous talent, confidence and maturity at a young age. We hope that under his leadership the team will put up a disciplined and competitive performance,” he said.

Bihar are placed in Group B alongside Delhi, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Railways, Saurashtra and Tamil Nadu. They will begin their campaign against Saurashtra in Indore on November 14.

The squad also includes wicket takers Ayush Loharuka and Anmol Kumar while Suraj Kashyap has been named vice-captain. The selection committee has kept Mangal Mahour and Shakib Hussain’s places subject to fitness, with their availability to be assessed after the first two matches.

BIHAR SQUAD FOR SMAT 2026

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (captain), Alok Kumar, Ayush Loharuka (wk), Altamash Ashraf, Param Kumar Singh, Anmol Kumar (wk), Ritwik Raj, Suraj Kashyap (vice-captain), Mayank Kumar, Raghvendra Pratap, Ashish Kumar, Vasudev, Pratap I. Singh Singh, Nawaz Khan and Himanshu Singh.

Standbys: Bipin Saurabh, Suman Kumar, Akash Raj, Khalid Alam, Bhaskar Dubey, Kumar Rajnish, Suyash, Abhijeet Saket, Yashasvi Rishabh, Lakhan Raja, Pawan Kumar, Amit Chaudhary, Piyush Singh, Bhanu Kumar, Lokesh Babulant S Kumar and Prash Babulant S Kumar.

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