Vaibhav Sooryavanshi named Bihar captain for first two SMAT matches
The 15-year-old left-hander will lead the state side in Indore against Saurashtra and Railways.
The Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) has named 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as captain for the first two matches of the 2026-27 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. According to The Indian Express, Sooryavanshi will lead the 17-member squad in Indore against Saurashtra on November 14 and Railways on November 16.
Suraj Kashyap has been appointed vice-captain. Bihar assistant coach Ashok Kumar told Hindustan Times that Sooryavanshi was given the leadership role because Sakibul Gani is injured.
BCA president Harsh Vardhan said the captaincy would allow Sooryavanshi to develop as a cricketer and a leader. He noted that the player has shown maturity and talent at a young age.
Sooryavanshi, who plays for Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL), recently played in the T20I series against New Zealand. He previously served as vice-captain for East Zone during the Duleep Trophy.
The squad includes Alok Kumar, Ayush Loharuka, Altamash Ashraf, Param Kumar Singh, Anmol Kumar, Ritwik Raj, Mayank Kumar, Raghvendra Pratap, Ashish Kumar, Vasudev Pratap Singh, Mohammad Izhar, Amod Yadav, Prashant Singh, Nawaz Khan, and Himanshu Singh. All-rounder Mangal Mahour and pacer Shakib Hussain will be considered for the team once their fitness is checked after the opening fixtures.