The Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) recently announced that 14-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will serve as Bihar’s vice-captain for the initial two rounds of the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 season, which is set to commence on October 15. Sakibul Gani has been appointed as the team’s captain.
Bihar faced a challenging 2024-25 season, leading to their relegation to the Plate League after six losses. This season, they will begin their campaign against Arunachal Pradesh in Patna, followed by a match against Manipur in Nadiad starting October 25.
In this image posted by @narendramodi via X on May 30, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi being greeted by cricketer Vaibhav Suryavanshi and his family at the Jayprakash Narayan International Airport, in Patna, Bihar.
Harsh Vardhan, president of the BCA, explained the decision, stating that Sooryavanshi’s elevation is due to his exceptional talent and experience, considering his achievements for India U-19 and with Rajasthan Royals in the IPL.
The 25-year-old Harsh Vardhan praised Sooryavanshi as a true prodigy, noting, “He made his first-class debut at 12, smashed an IPL century at 13, and remains completely unfazed by all the attention. He represents the bright future of Bihar and Indian cricket.”
Sooryavanshi, who debuted in first-class cricket in January 2024 at just 12 years and 284 days old, has played five matches, scoring a total of 100 runs in ten innings, with a top score of 41.
His impressive journey includes securing a million-dollar IPL deal at 13 and setting a new record as the youngest player to score a century in men’s T20s, achieving it in just 35 balls.
Earlier this year, he also recorded the fastest century in youth ODIs against England in Worcester. Despite his young age, he has already garnered a significant fan base, often stopped for selfies at airports and attracting crowds for autographs at venues.
Although it’s youth international cricket, Sooryavanshi stands out as the youngest player in any squad by a significant margin, consistently performing a level or two above his peers.
Amidst his burgeoning fame, Vikram Rathour, former India batting coach and current member of the Rajasthan Royals staff, is confident that Sooryavanshi is destined for greatness.
“He has scored centuries in both England and Australia. And you can see his potential in T20 cricket, especially in the IPL. He’s outstanding for such a young player,” Rathour commented.
Rathour further added, “He is a prodigy, but what’s truly remarkable is his composure. Despite scoring a century and quickly becoming a well-known name in Indian cricket at a very young age, he remains incredibly grounded and comfortable with all the sudden attention. That’s a truly admirable quality.”
Bihar Ranji Trophy 2025-26 squad: Piyush Kumar Singh, Bhashkar Dubey, Sakibul Gani (capt), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (vice-capt), Arnav Kishor, Ayush Loharuka, Bipin Saurabh, Amod Yadav, Nawaz Khan, Sakib Hussain, Raghvendra Pratap Singh, Sachin Kumar Singh, Himanshu Singh, Khalid Alam, Sachin Kumar