Vaibhav Sooryavanshi makes history as he leads Bihar in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026; check details
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi added another remarkable milestone to his rapidly growing cricket career on Saturday, becoming the youngest-ever captain in men’s T20 cricket history. The 15-year-old achieved the feat when he led Bihar against Saurashtra in their opening match of the 2026-27 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy at the Holkar Stadium in Indore.
At 15 years and 232 days, Sooryavanshi surpassed the previous record held by Croatia’s Zach Vukusic, who captained his national team at the age of 17 years and 311 days in 2025.
The Bihar Cricket Association had named Sooryavanshi captain for the team’s first two matches in the domestic T20 competition. Suraj Kashyap was appointed his deputy.
Sooryavanshi marked his first match as Bihar captain by winning the toss against Saurashtra, led by Jaydev Unadkat, and electing to bat. However, the teenager managed to score just 18 runs from 12 deliveries.
Chetan Sakariya dismissed the left-handed opener after he was caught and bowled. Bihar eventually posted 137/9 in their 20 overs.
What was the previous Indian record?
Before Sooryavanshi’s achievement, Mahipal Lomror held the record for being the youngest Indian to captain a side in an official T20 match. Lomror was 18 years and 67 days old when he led Rajasthan against Jharkhand in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2018.
Sooryavanshi’s achievement also adds to his growing list of records in the shortest format. He had previously become the youngest player to feature in a T20 match and the youngest to score a century in the format.
He also became the youngest player to appear in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2024, aged 13. In the following edition, he registered another record by becoming the youngest centurion in the tournament’s history, scoring an unbeaten 108 against Maharashtra.
From Bihar to the Indian team
Sooryavanshi’s rise has been equally significant at the national level. He made his international debut against England in a T20I in Manchester in July 2026, aged 15 years and 99 days, becoming India’s youngest-ever international cricketer.
He has since featured in India‘s T20I setup, including the recent bilateral series against New Zealand. His performances in the Indian Premier League have also attracted attention. Representing Rajasthan Royals, he finished the 2026 season as the competition’s leading run-scorer, accumulating 776 runs at a strike rate of 237.30.
The youngster had also gained some leadership experience earlier in the year when he was appointed vice-captain of East Zone for the Duleep Trophy. He briefly took over the captaincy during a match when regular skipper Ishan Kishan was away from the field.
Sooryavanshi’s captaincy assignment with Bihar, however, is limited to the opening two matches of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He is expected to join India A for the ACC Men’s Asia Cup Rising Stars 2026 in Doha, beginning 19 November.
