Vaibhav Sooryavanshi falls for 18 on record-breaking captaincy debut

At 15, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made history as the youngest captain in men's T20 cricket, but his first outing with the Bihar armband was short-lived. The teenager fell for 18 against Saurashtra in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy opener.Sooryavanshi started off with his aggressive intent but could not make it a big innings. (File Photo: Reuters)New Delhi,Nov 14, 2026 11:41 ISTVaibhav Sooryavanshi had barely walked out for 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 outing as skipper ended with a brief stay at the crease as he fell for 18 against Saurashtra in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy on Saturday.There had been plenty of attention on Sooryavanshi in the build-up to Bihar's campaign ever since the state association named him captain for the opening two matches. He began the day on a positive note, winning the toss at the Holkar Stadium in Indore and choosing to bat.WATCH THE VIDEO:Toss Update Bihar have won the toss and elected to bat first against Saurashtra Vaibhav Sooryavanshi takes charge by becoming the youngest captain in Men's T20 history at just 15 Scorecard https://t.co/gfZV5ZjIph #SMAT | @mflone_ https://t.co/23RFmME9fA— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) November 14, 2026Opening the innings, Sooryavanshi made his intentions clear straight away, hitting a boundary off the first ball he faced. He continued to take on the Saurashtra attack, looking to make the most of the powerplay. But Bihar's start took a hit when a mix-up between the openers led to Alok Kumar being run out.Ayush Loharuka joined Sooryavanshi at the crease and began finding the boundaries at the other end. The partnership, however, did not last long. Chetan Sakariya got the better of the Bihar captain, who mistimed a shot and sent the ball straight into the bowler's hands. Sooryavanshi walked back disappointed after scoring 18, leaving Bihar at 35/2 in 4.5 overs at the time of writing. It was not the start he would have wanted on his first day as captain, even if the record he set at the toss will remain.INDIA CAREER GATHERS PACESooryavanshi's domestic return comes after a busy year with the senior Indian team. He made his T20I debut against England in July, aged 15, and has since featured in 10 matches for India, scoring 295 runs at a strike rate of 185.53. His tally includes two half-centuries, with a highest score of 81. His most productive series came against Zimbabwe, where he struck scores of 50, 20 and 81 in three matches. He also made 38 against Sri Lanka at the Asian Games before finishing India's New Zealand tour with a 45 off 19 balls in Wellington. The latter innings came after he had managed just four runs in the previous match.Despite the eye-catching numbers, Sooryavanshi has not had a long run to settle into the senior set-up. His appearances have come across different assignments, and the return to domestic cricket gives him another opportunity to spend time in the middle and work on his game.NEXT STOP, RISING STARS ASIA CUPThe Bihar captaincy stint is only a short one. Sooryavanshi has been named in India's 15-member 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, with Abhishek Sharma and several other senior-team regulars also included.India A begin their campaign against Nepal on November 20 before facing Pakistan A and the UAE in the group stage. The tournament will offer Sooryavanshi a chance to test himself in the longer white-ball format after making his mark in T20 cricket.For now, his first day as Bihar captain has brought a record and a modest score. The bigger challenge will be to turn the experience of leading his state side into another step forward before his next assignment in India colours.- Ends