Vaibhav Sooryavanshi becomes youngest men's T20 captain during Bihar's SMAT opener

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has made cricket history as the youngest men's T20 captain ever.

At only 15 years and 232 days, Sooryavanshi took charge during Bihar's opening match in the 2026-2027 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy against Saurashtra in Indore. This achievement broke the previous record held by Croatia's Zach Vukusic, who was 17 years and 311 days old when he captained his national team. Suvanshi’s rise is especially impressive considering his rapid progression in cricket, making his T20 debut for India just five months earlier.

Sooryavanshi's early career highlights include helping India win the Under-19 World Cup in Zimbabwe less than a year ago. Recently, he represented India on their New Zealand tour, where he scored 45 runs off 19 balls in a strong opening partnership with Abhishek Sharma. Though his first match as captain saw him dismissed after scoring 18 runs, his leadership and skill continue to shine.

Across his career so far, Sooryavanshi has played 44 T20 matches, including 23 appearances for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL. Last November, he impressed many by scoring a joint third-fastest T20 century by an Indian, blasting 144 runs off just 42 balls for India against UAE at the ACC Rising Stars Tournament. His talent and rapid progress mark him as a key player to watch.