Vaibhav Suryavanshi has been named vice-captain of the Bihar side for the first two rounds of the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 season, which begins on October 15. Batter Sakibul Gani will lead the team.
The announcement came just two days before the season opener, following a last-minute effort by the Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) to appoint an ad hoc selector to comply with a BCCI directive. The BCA has been instructed to finalise a five-member selection panel as soon as possible.
Suryavanshi’s promotion follows a stellar run of form at the Under-19 level. On India Under-19’s tour of Australia, he impressed with aggressive starts at the top of the order, scoring a 78-ball century in the first four-day match in Brisbane and finishing as the second-highest run-scorer in the multi-day series with 133 runs from three innings. India won the series 2-0.
Prior to that, in July, Suryavanshi lit up the youth ODI series in England with 355 runs from five matches at a staggering strike rate of 174.01. His 143 in Worcester was the fastest century in youth one-dayers.
Despite being just 14, Suryavanshi already has five first-class matches to his name, having debuted in January 2024 at just 12 years and 284 days. However, India Under-19 commitments have limited his Ranji Trophy exposure, and he has managed only 100 runs in ten innings so far, with a best of 41.
Suryavanshi became a household name earlier this year when he scored 101 off 38 balls for Rajasthan Royals against Gujarat Titans, becoming the youngest centurion in men’s T20 cricket. Having been picked by the Royals at age 13, he played seven IPL 2025 matches, all as an opener, scoring 252 runs at a strike rate of 206.55.
Bihar, meanwhile, are looking to bounce back from a disastrous 2024-25 campaign, where they finished winless, collecting just one point from seven matches. They now compete in the Plate league and will begin their season against Arunachal Pradesh in Patna, followed by a clash with Manipur in Nadiad starting October 25.
Suryavanshi’s potential has sparked calls for him to be part of a more structured first-class setup, and there has been speculation about a possible move away from Bihar. However, the BCA is intent on retaining their young star as they aim to return to the Elite league.
He is unlikely to feature in the entire Ranji season, with selection for India’s Under-19 World Cup squad in early 2026 also on the horizon.
