Bihar captain and opening batsman Vaibhav Sooryavanshi plays a shot against Saurashtra during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Cricket Tournament at the MPCA Stadium in Indore on November 14, 2026.
| Photo Credit: R.V. Moorthy
Teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi on Saturday (November 14, 2026) became the youngest captain in men’s T20 cricket history when he led Bihar in their Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy opener against Saurashtra in Indore.
At 15 years and 232 days, Sooryavanshi broke the record previously held by Croatia’s Zach Vukusic, who had captained his national side at the age of 17 years and 311 days in a T20 International against Cyprus on August 7, 2025.
Bihar, who have endured a difficult start to their 2026-27 Ranji Trophy campaign with four successive defeats in the first half of the season, handed the teenager the leadership responsibility for the first two matches of the domestic T20 competition.
Sooryavanshi, however, could not make a significant contribution with the bat in his record-breaking outing, scoring 18 off 12 deliveries before being caught and bowled by left-arm pacer Chetan Sakariya. Bihar had elected to bat after winning the toss at the Holkar Stadium.
The appointment marks another milestone in the rapid rise of the youngster, who made his India debut just five months ago. He was also named vice-captain of East Zone for the 2026-27 Duleep Trophy, deputising for Ishan Kishan.
His most recent international appearance came during India’s T20 tour of New Zealand, where he featured in two matches and scored 49 runs. His 19-ball 45, which came in a 133-run opening stand with Abhishek Sharma in just 7.1 overs, was one of the highlights of the series that India won 3-2.
Sooryavanshi is expected to feature in one more Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match before joining India A for the ACC Rising Stars Emerging tournament in Doha from November 19.
Published – November 14, 2026 03:38 pm IST
