Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Becomes Youngest Captain in Men's T20 Cricket History
On Saturday, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made history by becoming the youngest captain in men's T20 cricket. The left-handed opener led Bihar in their opening match of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy against Saurashtra in Indore.
At just 15 years and 232 days old, Sooryavanshi surpassed the previous record held by Croatia's Zach Vukusic, who captained his national team at 17 years and 311 days in 2025.
Like many teenagers facing a significant moment, Sooryavanshi experienced a brief lapse at the toss, forgetting his team's playing XI. When asked about the players, he humorously admitted, "I think, sir, bhool gaya lagta main (I think I’ve forgotten, sir)." Reflecting on this remarkable day, he expressed, "It’s like a dream come true. I started my cricket journey in Bihar, and now I have the chance to lead my state. I am very thankful and will strive to fulfill this responsibility to the best of my ability."
This milestone follows Sooryavanshi's T20 international debut against England in Manchester last July, where he broke Sachin Tendulkar's long-standing record to become the youngest male cricketer to represent India in senior international cricket. Tendulkar was 16 years and 205 days old when he debuted against Pakistan in 1989.
Sooryavanshi has been appointed captain for Bihar's first two matches in the domestic T20 tournament. In his debut as skipper, he scored 18 runs off 12 balls, hitting two fours and a six before being dismissed by Chetan Sakariya in the fifth over.
He was also part of a run-out incident that saw his opening partner, Alok Kumar, fall short of the crease in the third over. Bihar ultimately lost the match by five wickets.
Sooryavanshi is set to play one more match for Bihar before joining the India A squad for the 50-over ACC Asia Cup Rising Stars Tournament, which kicks off in Doha on November 19.
Last November, he made headlines by scoring 144 runs off just 42 balls for India A against the UAE in the ACC Asia Cup Rising Stars Tournament, achieving the third-fastest T20 century by an Indian.