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India’s Sooryavanshi becomes youngest captain in men’s T20 history
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi became the youngest captain in men’s Twenty20 cricket, leading Bihar in India’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy at 15 years and 232 days. The milestone adds to the teenager’s rapid rise and makes him one of the youngest players to reach leadership in the sport.
He surpassed Croatia’s Zach Vukusic, who captained his national side at 17 years and 311 days. Sooryavanshi made his India T20 international debut against England in July, aged 15 years and 99 days, and has since scored 295 runs in 10 T20Is, including two half-centuries. His rise included a 35-ball IPL century last year and a record 72 sixes in this year’s tournament.
In short
- Sooryavanshi captained Bihar at 15 years and 232 days.
- He broke the men’s T20 captaincy age record.
- He has scored 295 runs in 10 T20 internationals.
Explained simply
Twenty20, or T20, is cricket’s shortest international format: each team bats for up to 20 overs, making matches quicker than longer forms of the game. A captain leads the team on the field, helping decide tactics such as who bowls and how players are positioned.
Sooryavanshi plays for Bihar, one of India’s state teams, and has also represented India in T20 internationals. The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy is a domestic T20 competition between Indian state teams, while the Indian Premier League (IPL) is a separate professional T20 tournament featuring teams from across the country.
T20 cricket is played around the world, so records can involve both national and regional teams. Comparing players’ ages at milestones helps show how early they entered senior cricket and leadership roles.