Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s debut as a captain ends with 18 in the opening SMAT in Bihar

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi had barely reached the toss when another milestone came his way. At 15, the Bihar opener became the youngest player to captain a team in men’s T20 cricket, but his first appearance as captain ended in a brief stay at the crease when he fell for 18 against Saurashtra in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy on Saturday.

There was a lot attention to Sooryavanshi in preparation for the Bihar campaign since the state association named him captain for the opening two games. He started the day on a positive note, winning the toss at the Holkar Stadium in Indore and electing to bat.

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Toss Update Bihar win the toss and elect to bat first against Saurashtra Vaibhav Sooryavanshi takes charge by becoming the youngest captain in men’s T20 history with just 15 Scorecard #SMAT | @mflone_ BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) November 14, 2026

At the start of the innings, Sooryavanshi made his intentions clear and hit a boundary off the first ball he faced. He continued the Saurashtra attack and tried to make the most of the power play. But Bihar’s start was dealt a blow when a mix-up between the openers resulted in Alok Kumar being run out.

Ayush Loharuka joined Sooryavanshi at the crease and started looking for boundaries at the other end. However, the partnership did not last long. Chetan Sakariya stepped up to the Bihar skipper who mistimed the shot and sent the ball straight into the bowler’s hands.

Sooryavanshi returned disappointed after scoring 18 to leave Bihar at 35/2 in 4.5 overs at the time of writing. It wasn’t the start he would have wished for on his first day as captain, although the record he created at the toss will remain.

INDIA CAREER OFFERS WARMTH

Sooryavanshi’s domestic return comes after a challenging year in the senior Indian team. He made his T20I debut in July against England aged 15 and has since appeared in 10 matches for India, scoring 295 runs at a strike rate of 185.53. His record includes two half-centuries, with a highest score of 81.

His most productive series came against Zimbabwe, where he scored 50, 20 and 81 in three matches. He also made 38 against Sri Lanka at the Asian Games before ending India’s tour of New Zealand with a 45 off 19 balls loss in Wellington. The last innings came after he had managed just four runs in the previous game.

Despite eye-catching numbers, Sooryavanshi did not have a long way to settle in the senior set-up. His performances have been met with different challenges and a return to domestic cricket gives him another opportunity to spend time in the middle and work on his game.

NEXT STOP, THE RISING STARS ASIA CUP

Bihar’s captaincy is a short one. Sooryavanshi was named in India’s 15-man squad for the ACC Men’s Rising Stars Asia Cup, which will be played in the 50-over format in Doha from November 19 to 29. Tilak Varma will lead the side, including Abhishek Sharma and several other stalwarts of the senior team.

India A will begin their campaign against Nepal on November 20 before taking on Pakistan A and UAE in the group stage. The tournament will offer Sooryavanshi a chance to test himself in the longer white-ball format after establishing himself in T20 cricket.

So far, his first day as Bihar captain has yielded a record and a modest score. The bigger challenge will be to turn the experience of leading his state party into another step forward ahead of his next assignment in India colours.

– The end