Vaibhav Sooryavanshi named captain of Bihar for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been named captain of Bihar’s senior side for the opening two matches of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the Bihar Cricket Association announced in Patna on November 6, 2026. Suraj Kashyap has been appointed vice-captain of the 17-member squad.
Sooryavanshi heads a 17-member group selected for Bihar’s Group B programme in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Bihar are drawn in Group B alongside Delhi, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Railways, Saurashtra and Tamil Nadu. The team will begin its campaign against Saurashtra in Indore on November 14.
Sooryavanshi is expected to feature in Bihar’s first two matches, against Saurashtra and Railways, before joining the India A squad for the ACC Men’s Asia Cup Rising Stars 2026 in Doha from November 19-29. India A will open their Rising Stars campaign against Nepal on November 20. The BCA announcement lists his availability to cover those opening fixtures for Bihar.
BCA president Harsh Vardhan said the captaincy would provide Sooryavanshi a chance 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. The statement formed part of the association's Friday announcement of the playing group.
Sooryavanshi had previously been named vice-captain of the East Zone side that won the Duleep Trophy under Ishan Kishan's leadership. That appointment had drawn criticism because Sooryavanshi had played only eight first-class matches for Bihar. He has, however, accumulated experience in the shorter formats.
He has played 44 T20 matches, including 23 for the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League and 10 for India. Sooryavanshi was the Orange Cap winner of IPL 2026, amassing 776 runs in 16 innings at a strike rate of over 237. He also scored 175 off 80 balls to guide India to a 100-run victory over England in the Under-19 World Cup final.
The left-hander recently featured in the third T20 International against New Zealand, scoring 45 off 19 balls in an opening stand of 133 with Abhishek Sharma. Mangal Mahour and Shakib Hussain have been named in the squad subject to fitness assessments after Bihar’s first two matches, and the BCA included their names under that condition.
Bihar will open their Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign against Saurashtra in Indore on November 14, with Sooryavanshi expected to lead the team in that match and the following fixture against Railways before joining India A for the Rising Stars tournament in Doha.
