Mumbai: India’s teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been appointed captain of the Bihar senior team for their opening two fixtures of the 2026 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), marking another significant milestone in his rapidly growing cricket career.
The 15-year-old will lead Bihar against Saurashtra and Railways in the opening phase of the domestic T20 competition. Suraj Kashyap has been named his deputy for the two matches.
Bihar will begin their campaign against Saurashtra in Indore on November 14, before taking on Railways at the same venue on November 16.
The appointment will mark Sooryavanshi’s first stint as captain of Bihar’s senior side. It will also make him the youngest player to captain a team in T20 cricket, setting a new benchmark in the format.
In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the previous record for the youngest captain belonged to Mahipal Lomror, who was 18 years and 67 days old when he led Rajasthan in 2018.
Sooryavanshi’s elevation to the leadership role comes after he made an impression in the Duleep Trophy. He was appointed vice-captain of East Zone for the tournament held in August and September. He also briefly took charge of the side during the final when regular captain Ishan Kishan was forced off the field because of an injury.
An East Zone selector had previously indicated that giving the youngster additional leadership responsibilities was part of the plan to help him develop further and mature as a cricketer.
The Bihar captaincy also comes on the back of Sooryavanshi’s impressive performances in the shortest format. The youngster has already established himself as one of the most exciting prospects in Indian cricket, making headlines through a series of age-group and IPL records.
Bihar endured a disappointing campaign in the previous edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, managing just one victory from seven group-stage matches. Sooryavanshi featured in six games, scoring a century and maintaining an impressive strike rate of 168.37.
His appointment could provide Bihar with a fresh leadership approach as they look to improve their performance in the upcoming competition.
Sooryavanshi’s most recent international assignment was India’s T20I tour of New Zealand, where he featured in two matches. Having already made his mark at the international and franchise levels, the teenager will now get an opportunity to demonstrate his leadership abilities in senior domestic cricket.
