Vaibhav Sooryavanshi appointed Bihar's captain for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Here's the full squad

India's 15-year-old wonderkid Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been entrusted with a big responsibility as he has been officially appointed Bihar's  captain for the first two matches of the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy (SMAT) 2026. Notably, the upcoming edition of the SMAT is slated to be played from November 14 to December 6. Organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the national T20 tournament will witness the teen sensation take charge of the state’s senior squad for the very first time.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi becomes Bihar captain for SMAT 2026

The Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) secretary Ziaul Arefin confirmed the development to Sports Tak, unveiling a 17-member squad selected to spearhead the state’s campaign in the premier domestic short-format competition. All-rounder Suraj Kashyap has been designated as the vice-captain to support Sooryavanshi in leading the side.

The selection marks a historic milestone in the rapid ascent of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who has already captured national attention with his explosive strokeplay, composure under pressure, and remarkable maturity at the crease. Entrusting him with senior captaincy responsibilities indicates the BCA’s long-term vision to build a dynamic, forward-looking outfit centered around young talent.

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With Sooryavanshi at the helm and Suraj Kashyap acting as his deputy, the BCA management expects a rejuvenated state side capable of challenging established domestic powerhouses in the T20 format.

The 17-member squad was finalised following a comprehensive series of trial sessions and performance reviews conducted from November 4 to November 6, 2026. The senior selection committee of the BCA formally convened on November 6 to evaluate candidate performances across recent domestic fixtures, preparatory camp games, and skill assessments.

The committee meeting was led in person by Senior Selection Committee Chairman Harvinder Singh alongside member Amitabh Vijayvargiya. Selector S. Sarath joined the deliberations via telephone to provide inputs before the 17-man roster was officially signed off. The selection panel emphasized balancing experienced state campaigners with emerging young talent who stood out during the three-day trial block.

Sooryavanshi’s elevation to the captaincy comes on the back of his extraordinary trajectory through age-group, domestic, and franchise cricket setups. Having already made waves with his fearless power-hitting and rapid scoring rates across various levels, his role as leader will demand both tactical sharpness in field placements and bowling changes, as well as setting the tone at the top of the batting order.

Vice-captain Suraj Kashyap is expected to play a crucial role in managing on-field communication and supporting mid-over tactical adjustments. The squad selected for the first two games reflects a focus on utility all-rounders, aggressive boundary-hitters, and a bowling attack tailored for fast-paced T20 conditions.

The initial 17-member squad will handle the opening leg of Bihar's campaign, after which the selection committee is slated to review squad dynamics and individual form before announcing the lineup for the remainder of the group stage matches.

Bihar will start their SMAT campaign on November 14 against Saurashtra.

Bihar's squad for SMAT 2026

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Captain), Alok Kumar, Ayush Loharuka (Wicketkeeper), Altamash Ashraf, Param Kumar Singh, Anmol Kumar (Wicketkeeper), Ritwik Raj, Suraj Kashyap (Vice-Captain), Mayank Kumar, Raghvendra Pratap, Ashish Kumar, Vasudev Pratap Singh, Mohammad Izhar, Amod Yadav, Prashant Singh, Nawaz Khan and Himanshu Singh

The year 2026 marked a meteoric rise for Sooryavanshi. His breakthrough campaign began at the U-19 Men's World Cup, where he bagged the Player of the Tournament award after smashing a brilliant 175 against England in the final to seal India's title victory. Carrying that momentum straight into franchise cricket, he lit up the Indian Premier League for Rajasthan Royals, topping the tournament's run charts with an astonishing 776 runs at a staggering strike rate of 237.30.

His extraordinary domestic and IPL exploits quickly earned him a national call-up, making history in July 2026 when he debuted against England in Manchester during the second T20I to become India's youngest male international cricketer. He continued to shatter records on the international stage soon after; during the third T20I against New Zealand, Sooryavanshi joined forces with Abhishek Sharma to hammer 118 runs in the opening six overs without losing a wicket, setting the highest powerplay score ever recorded in men's T20I history.

Bihar's schedule for SMAT

Bihar’s campaign in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026–27 begins in Group C, with all their group-stage matches hosted across venues in Indore.

Bihar opens their tournament against Saurashtra on November 14 at the Holkar Stadium, followed by a clash with Railways on November 16 at the Daly College Ground. They face Delhi on November 18, Jammu & Kashmir on November 20, and Tamil Nadu in a night fixture on November 22. Bihar concludes their group fixtures against Haryana on November 24 and Punjab on November 26.

How did Bihar perform in last edition of SMAT?

During the 2025–26 edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Bihar endured a rough outing. Placed in a competitive Elite group, the team struggled to find consistency early on, dropping their opening six matches against seasoned state outfits. Throughout the group stage, Bihar’s batting order often faltered against high-quality bowling attacks, leading to low totals and placing immense pressure on their bowling unit. Heavy defeats early in the tournament quickly ruled them out of contention for the Super Eight stage. However, Bihar managed to end their campaign on a high note by producing a major upset in their final group fixture against Uttar Pradesh.