A very big update is emerging about India’s young sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. One of the rarest talents in world cricket and a player seen as its next big thing, he has already achieved at 15 what many cricketers spend their entire careers chasing.
He has impressed in his limited opportunities for India. In just his second IPL season, he finished as the tournament’s leading run-scorer at the age of 15. Now, another major responsibility awaits him: leading Bihar.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is set to captain Bihar
According to the reported update, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is set to captain Bihar in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The decision has been finalised, with only the official announcement pending.
The reported appointment would make him the youngest captain of a main senior state team. It would also be his first appointment as captain of a main senior team, a different responsibility from his previous youth captaincy and stand-in leadership duties.
Leading Bihar at just 15 would give him an opportunity to develop as a captain while continuing to make an impact with the bat.
How Bihar performed in the last SMAT
Bihar endured a disappointing campaign in the 2025–26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. They finished bottom of Elite Group B, winning just one of their seven matches and losing the other six.
| Bihar’s SMAT 2025–26 campaign | Record |
|---|---|
| Group position | 8th in Elite Group B |
| Matches played | 7 |
| Wins | 1 |
| Losses | 6 |
| Points | 4 |
| Net run rate | -1.342 |
Their only victory came against Uttar Pradesh, whom they defeated by six wickets in their final group match.
Vaibhav had already shown what he could do for Bihar during that campaign. He smashed an unbeaten 108 off 61 balls against Maharashtra, although Bihar lost that match by three wickets.
Vaibhav can make Bihar a surprise package
Bihar’s recent results have been poor, but a full season from Vaibhav could make them a team capable of producing surprises. He has the ability to change matches on his own, and his IPL performances have already shown the damage he can do.
If he produces similar attacking innings in even half of Bihar’s matches, he could put them in a position to win around 30–40% of their games through his batting impact alone. That is an assessment of his match-winning potential, rather than a guaranteed return.
His appointment would add a major senior captaincy role to his rapidly growing career. The hope is that this experience will help him develop into a leader who can one day captain India too.
