Patna, November 2026: Teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is set to take on a new responsibility in his rapidly rising cricket career, having been appointed captain of the Bihar senior men's team for the first time. The 14-year-old has been named skipper for Bihar's opening two matches of the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, India's domestic T20 tournament.
The Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) announced a 17-member squad on Friday, naming Suraj Kashyap as vice-captain. BCA president Harsh Vardhan said the decision to hand Sooryavanshi the captaincy was aimed at providing him with an opportunity to develop his leadership abilities alongside his batting skills.
"Vaibhav has already demonstrated tremendous talent, confidence and maturity at a young age, and this responsibility will provide him with another opportunity to grow as a cricketer and leader," Vardhan said.
He expressed confidence that Sooryavanshi's leadership would help Bihar deliver disciplined and competitive performances during the tournament.
However, Sooryavanshi's captaincy will be limited to the first two matches as he is scheduled to join the India A squad for the Men's Rising Stars Asia Cup, a 50-over tournament to be held in Doha, Qatar, from November 19 to 29.
The appointment marks another significant milestone in the young left-handed batter's extraordinary rise. Sooryavanshi shot into the national spotlight after playing a decisive role in India's triumph at the 2026 Under-19 Men's Cricket World Cup. He smashed a spectacular 175 in the final and was subsequently named Player of the Tournament.
His impressive performances continued in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, where he represented Rajasthan Royals and emerged as the tournament's leading run-scorer. He accumulated 776 runs at an extraordinary strike rate of 237.30, establishing himself as one of the most exciting young batting prospects in the country.
His consistent performances earned him a place in India's T20 International squad. Making his debut in the second T20I against England in Manchester in July, Sooryavanshi became the youngest cricketer to represent India in international cricket.
He continued to attract attention in the recent third T20I against New Zealand, where he combined with Abhishek Sharma to produce a remarkable opening partnership. The duo scored 118 runs without losing a wicket in the first six overs, registering the highest powerplay total in men's T20 International cricket.
Their opening stand produced 133 runs in just 43 deliveries. Sooryavanshi contributed 45 off 19 balls, while Abhishek Sharma smashed 113 off 38 deliveries. Overall, Sooryavanshi has scored 295 runs in 10 T20Is at an average of 29.50 and an impressive strike rate of 185.53, including two half-centuries.
The Bihar squad was finalised following a meeting of the BCA senior men's selection committee on Friday. The selectors considered players' performances and conducted trials from November 4 to 6 before arriving at their decision.
Selection committee chairman Harvinder Singh and member Amitabh Vijayvargiya attended the meeting, while selector S. Sarath participated over the telephone.
Batter Mangal Mahour and fast bowler Sakib Hussain have also been included, subject to fitness. Their availability will be assessed after Bihar's first two matches. The association has additionally announced 16 standby players.
Bihar will begin their campaign against Saurashtra on November 14 before taking on Railways on November 16. Both matches will be played in Indore.
The support staff associated with Bihar's Ranji Trophy team will remain with the squad throughout the tournament. Selection committee members Harvinder Singh and Vijayvargiya will also travel to Indore to watch the team's opening matches.
Bihar Squad: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Captain), Suraj Kashyap (Vice-Captain), Alok Kumar, Ayush Loharuka (WK), Altamash Ashraf, Param Kumar Singh, Anmol Kumar (WK), Ritwik Raj, Mayank Kumar, Raghvendra Pratap, Ashish Kumar, Vasudev Pratap Singh, Mohammad Izhar, Amod Yadav, Prashant Singh, Nawaz Khan and Himanshu Singh.
Subject to Fitness: Mangal Mahour and Sakib Hussain.
Standby Players: 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.
