Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, 15, becomes youngest captain in men's T20 cricket

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi became the youngest captain in men's T20 cricket history when he led Bihar against Saurashtra in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in Indore on November 14, 2026. At 15 years and 232 days he surpassed Croatia's Zach Vukusic, who captained his national side at 17 years and 311 days in a T20 International against Cyprus on August 7, 2025.

Bihar handed the teenage opening batsman the leadership for the first two matches of the domestic T20 competition after a difficult start to their 2026-27 Ranji Trophy campaign, during which they suffered four successive defeats in the first half of the season. He led the side in the Syed Mushtaq Ali opener against Saurashtra in Indore.

Bihar won the toss at the Holkar Stadium and elected to bat. Sooryavanshi scored 18 off 12 deliveries in his record-breaking outing. He was dismissed caught and bowled by left-arm pacer Chetan Sakariya.

The appointment marks another milestone in the rapid rise of the youngster. He 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.

Sooryavanshi's 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. His move to the India A squad for the tournament in Doha is the next confirmed step in his immediate programme.