Teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is set to take on a new responsibility in his cricketing career after being appointed captain of Bihar’s senior men’s team for the opening two matches of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026-27. The Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) announced a 17-member squad on Friday, with Suraj Kashyap named as vice-captain.
The appointment marks Sooryavanshi’s first stint as captain of Bihar’s senior side. The left-handed batter will lead the team in their opening fixtures against Saurashtra and Railways as the domestic T20 competition gets underway on November 14.
Bihar have been 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.
BCA president Harsh Vardhan expressed confidence in the teenager’s leadership abilities, highlighting his performances and maturity despite his young age.
“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,” Vardhan said.
Sooryavanshi to Join India A After Opening Two Matches
Sooryavanshi’s leadership assignment with Bihar will be limited to the first two matches of the tournament, as he is expected to join the India A squad for the ACC Men’s Asia Cup Rising Stars 2026 in Doha.
The tournament will take place from November 19 to 29, with India A scheduled to begin their campaign against Nepal on November 20.
The youngster was previously appointed vice-captain of the East Zone team that went on to win the Duleep Trophy under Ishan Kishan. However, the decision attracted criticism at the time, given that Sooryavanshi had featured in only eight first-class matches for Bihar.
IPL 2026 Orange Cap Winner Gets New Responsibility
Sooryavanshi’s appointment comes after an outstanding run of performances across formats. He has played 44 T20 matches, including 23 appearances for Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League and 10 matches for India.
The teenager enjoyed a remarkable IPL 2026 campaign, finishing as the tournament’s Orange Cap winner after scoring 776 runs in 16 innings at an extraordinary strike rate of over 237.
He also made headlines in the Under-19 World Cup final against England, smashing a sensational 175 off just 80 deliveries to guide India to a commanding 100-run victory.
More recently, Sooryavanshi impressed in the third T20 International against New Zealand, scoring 45 runs off 19 balls during a blistering opening partnership of 133 runs with Abhishek Sharma.
Meanwhile, Mangal Mahour and Shakib Hussain have been included in Bihar’s plans, subject to fitness assessments following the team’s first two matches.
Bihar Squad for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026-27
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.
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.