Young batter Vaibhav Suryavanshi created history on January 3 by captaining the India Under-19 team in the first match of the three-game Youth ODI series against South Africa Under-19 at Willowmoore Park in Benoni.
At just 14 years of age, Suryavanshi became the youngest player ever to captain a side in a Youth ODI. It was also the first time he is captaining an Indian national team at any level.
Why is Vaibhav Suryavanshi leading India Under-19
Suryavanshi was handed the captaincy after regular skipper Ayush Mhatre and vice-captain Vihaan Malhotra were ruled out with injuries. What was initially seen as a temporary decision turned into a historic milestone. Both Mhatre and Malhotra are expected to return for the ICC Under-19 World Cup, which is scheduled to start from January 15 and will be hosted by Zimbabwe and Namibia.
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Suryavanshi breaks Ahmed Shehzad's record
With this match, Suryavanshi not only became the youngest captain in Youth ODI history but also the youngest cricketer ever to lead a national team in any Under-19 international format before turning 16. He broke a long-standing record held by Pakistan’s Ahmed Shehzad, set back in 2007.
Suryavanshi now joins a small and elite group of players who were given leadership roles at a very young age, including Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Farhan Zakhil, Ambitious Muduma, and Saad Baig. In fact, only five players worldwide have captained their country in youth internationals before the age of 16.
India's previous youngest Youth ODI captain
In Indian cricket, the previous youngest Youth ODI captain was Abhishek Sharma, who led the team at 16 years and 105 days in 2016. Apart from him, only Tanmay Srivastava, Dhruv Jurel, and Parthiv Patel have captained India at the Under-19 level before turning 17.
Suryavanshi breaks a plethora of records
Over the last two years, Suryavanshi has continued to break age-related records. He is the youngest centurion in both Under-19 Tests and ODIs and holds the record for the most sixes in Youth ODIs. Beyond age-group cricket, he has already impressed at senior levels with strong performances for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, India A, and Bihar in domestic cricket.