At 15, most cricketers are still trying to hold down a place in their state age-group side. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is about to walk out and toss the coin for Bihar. The Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) on Friday named the teenage batting star captain of the senior men’s team for the opening two matches of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026-27, a decision that will make him the youngest captain in the history of T20 cricket.
Sooryavanshi will lead Bihar out against Saurashtra on November 14 at the Holkar Stadium in Indore, and then against Railways on November 16. Suraj Kashyap has been named vice-captain, and the BCA announced a 17-member squad for the two games after its senior selection committee met on Friday.
It is a remarkable rise, even by the standards of a career that has already broken records. Sooryavanshi, a left-handed opener, broke into the India T20I side earlier this year and plays for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL. Now, before he has turned 16, he will be in charge of a senior state team in India’s premier domestic T20 tournament.
A record waiting to happen
When Sooryavanshi leads Bihar onto the field in Indore next Saturday, he will be 15 years and 232 days old, which will make him the youngest player ever to captain a team in T20 cricket. It is the kind of record that tends to stand for a long time, because very few 15-year-olds play senior cricket at all, let alone lead a side.
This will be his first stint as captain in an official match, but it is not his first taste of leadership. He has previously served as vice-captain of Bihar in the Ranji Trophy and of East Zone in the Duleep Trophy, so the dressing room will not be new territory for him.
For Bihar, the appointment is also a statement of intent. The state has rarely been in the national conversation in domestic cricket, and putting its most famous young player in charge puts the spotlight firmly on the team.
Why only two matches
The captaincy is limited to the first two matches for a simple reason. After the Railways game on November 16, Sooryavanshi is expected to join the India A squad for the ACC Men’s Asia Cup Rising Stars 2026, which will be played in Doha from November 19 to 29.
That tournament is the next step in his international education, and the national selectors clearly do not want him to miss it. Bihar will need a new captain for the rest of the tournament, but for the opening week, the team gets its star player and its leader in one.
The squad around him
The 17-member squad the BCA announced on Friday is a mix of youth and experience, built around its young captain. Suraj Kashyap, the vice-captain, is the senior figure in the leadership group, and the squad includes two wicketkeepers, Ayush Loharuka and Anmol Kumar.
- Captain: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
- Vice-captain: Suraj Kashyap
- Wicketkeepers: Ayush Loharuka, Anmol Kumar
- Squad: Alok Kumar, Altamash Ashraf, Param Kumar Singh, Ritwik Raj, Mayank Kumar, Raghvendra Pratap, Ashish Kumar, Vasudev Pratap Singh, Mohammad Izhar, Amod Yadav, Prashant Singh, Nawaz Khan, Himanshu Singh
The squad was finalised after trials held from November 4 to 6 and a review of performances in recent domestic fixtures. The selection committee met on Friday to sign off on the final 17, and the captaincy call was the headline of the announcement.
What this means for Bihar
Domestic T20 cricket has always been the shop window for young Indian talent, and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy is where reputations are made. For Bihar, having the youngest captain in T20 history is a chance to be noticed for the right reasons. The tournament, the 19th edition, runs from November 14 to December 6, with Bihar in Group B alongside Delhi, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Railways, Saurashtra and three-time winners Tamil Nadu.
There will be pressure, of course. Leading a senior side at 15, in front of television cameras and with a record on the line, is a lot to ask of any teenager. But Sooryavanshi has handled attention well so far. He made his name with fearless batting, and the BCA’s decision suggests the people who know him best believe he can handle the added responsibility.
FAQs
How old is Vaibhav Sooryavanshi?
He is 15 years old. When he captains Bihar against Saurashtra on November 14, he will be 15 years and 232 days old, making him the youngest captain in T20 cricket history.
Which matches will Sooryavanshi captain for Bihar?
He will lead Bihar in their first two Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026-27 matches, against Saurashtra on November 14 and Railways on November 16, both in Indore.
Who is Bihar’s vice-captain for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy?
Suraj Kashyap has been named vice-captain of the 17-member squad announced by the Bihar Cricket Association on November 6.
Why is Sooryavanshi captaining only two matches?
After the first two games, he will join the India A squad for the ACC Men’s Asia Cup Rising Stars 2026 in Doha, which runs from November 19 to 29.
When does the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026-27 start?
The tournament begins on November 14 and the final is scheduled for December 6.
Indian cricket has seen many young stars, but a 15-year-old captain is something new entirely. On November 14, all eyes will be on Indore.
