Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been named Bihar captain for the opening two matches of the 2026-27 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, marking his first stint as captain of the state’s senior men’s team.
The Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) announced a 17-member squad on Friday, with the 15-year-old set to lead the side in its opening fixtures against Saurashtra and Railways. Suraj Kashyap has been appointed vice-captain.
Bihar will begin their campaign against Saurashtra on 14 November before taking on Railways two days later. Both matches will be played in Indore.
Sooryavanshi’s appointment comes after he was named vice-captain of for the 2026-27 Duleep Trophy. He served as deputy to Ishan Kishan, who led the side to the title.
Harsh Vardhan, the BCA president, was hopeful that the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy would give Vaibhav an opportunity to improve as a player and a captain.
“ 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.
“We are hopeful that under Vaibhav’s leadership, the team will deliver a disciplined, competitive and effective performance while representing the state in the upcoming season,” he told news agency IANS.
The teenager has also made significant strides in international and franchise cricket this year. He was part of India’s Under-19 World Cup-winning campaign, scoring 175 runs in the final against England to help India secure a 100-run victory. He was also named Player of the Tournament.
At the Indian Premier League (), finished the 2026 season as the leading run-scorer for , accumulating 776 runs in 16 innings at a strike rate of more than 237.
His performances earned him a place in India’s senior T20I side. He made his international debut against England earlier this year and has since featured in the national team’s T20I assignments.
In the third T20I against New Zealand, Sooryavanshi scored 45 off 19 deliveries, combining with Abhishek Sharma for a 133-run opening partnership. The pair also registered 118 runs in the first six overs without losing a wicket, setting a new record for the highest powerplay score in men’s T20I cricket.
Bihar are placed in Group B of the alongside Delhi, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Railways, Saurashtra and Tamil Nadu.
Sooryavanshi is expected to represent Bihar in the opening two fixtures before joining India A for the ACC Men’s Asia Cup Rising Stars 2026 in Doha. The tournament is scheduled to take place from 19 to 29 November, with India A beginning their campaign against Nepal on 20 November.
Bihar squad for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (First two matches): 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, Himanshu Singh.
