Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to captain Bihar at 15, leads Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy squad

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will lead Bihar in senior cricket for the first time, captaining the side in the opening two Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy matches before joining India A for the Rising Stars Asia Cup.New Delhi,Nov 6, 2026 19:38 ISTVaibhav Sooryavanshi is set to take on his first captaincy assignment in senior cricket after being named Bihar's captain for the opening two matches of the 2026-27 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The 15-year-old batting sensation will lead the state side in the domestic T20 tournament, which begins on November 14.The Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) selection committee picked a 17-member squad for the first two matches, to be played in Indore. Sooryavanshi is expected to turn out for Bihar before joining the India A squad for the Rising Stars Asia Cup later this month.It is a significant responsibility for a player who has already made his mark at the international and domestic levels. Last season, Sooryavanshi was named vice-captain of Bihar's Ranji Trophy squad for the opening two matches, with Sakibul Gani leading the side. He had made his first-class debut for Bihar at just 12 years of age, against Mumbai in January 2024.Sooryavanshi has also had leadership experience in age-group cricket. He captained India Under-19 during their three-match Youth ODI tour of South Africa in January, with regular captain Ayush Mhatre unavailable due to injury. He was subsequently part of the India team that won the Under-19 World Cup in February, although Mhatre led the side at the tournament. The appointment comes after Sooryavanshi returned from New Zealand, where he featured in the recently concluded five-match T20I series. Opportunities at the international level have been limited, with Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson ahead of him in India's opening combination. The teenager featured in two matches on the tour.BIHAR CRICKET BACKS SOORYAVANSHI FOR CAPTAINCY One of those outings produced a memorable performance. Sooryavanshi struck 45 off just 19 balls in the third T20I in Wellington, combining with Abhishek to give India a record-breaking start. The pair put on 118 without loss in the first six overs, setting a new record for the highest powerplay total in men's T20I cricket. Abhishek went on to score 113 off 38 balls as India chased down New Zealand's 199-run target. BCA president Harsh Vardhan said the captaincy would give Sooryavanshi an opportunity to grow as a leader."Vaibhav has already demonstrated tremendous talent, confidence and maturity at a young age. We are hopeful that under his leadership, the team will deliver a disciplined and competitive performance," he said.Bihar are placed in Group B alongside Delhi, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Railways, Saurashtra and Tamil Nadu. They will begin their campaign against Saurashtra in Indore on November 14.The squad also includes wicketkeeper-batters Ayush Loharuka and Anmol Kumar, while Suraj Kashyap has been named vice-captain. The selection committee has kept Mangal Mahour and Shakib Hussain's places subject to fitness, with their availability to be assessed after the first two matches.BIHAR SQUAD FOR SMAT 2026Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (captain), Alok Kumar, Ayush Loharuka (wk), Altamash Ashraf, Param Kumar Singh, Anmol Kumar (wk), Ritwik Raj, Suraj Kashyap (vice-captain), Mayank Kumar, Raghvendra Pratap, Ashish Kumar, Vasudev Pratap Singh, Mohammad Izhar, Amod Yadav, Prashant Singh, Nawaz Khan and Himanshu Singh.Standbys: Bipin Saurabh, Suman Kumar, Akash Raj, Khalid Alam, Bhaskar Dubey, Kumar Rajnish, Suyash, Abhijeet Saket, Yashasvi Rishabh, Lakhan Raja, Pawan Kumar, Amit Chaudhary, Piyush Singh, Bhanu Kumar, Lokesh Babulal Kumar and Prashant Srivastava.- Ends