Vaibhav Suryavanshi Breaks World Record Even Before Facing First Ball Against South Africa U-19
Indian youngster Vaibhav Suryavanshi added another world record to his name during the first youth ODI against South Africa.
Published : January 3, 2026 at 3:48 PM IST
Hyderabad: Indian youngster Vaibhav Suryavanshi inked another world record during the first youth ODI between India Under-19 and South Africa Under-19 at the Willowmoore Park in Benoni. The 14-year-old set a world record, surpassing a Pakistan cricketer while captaining the national side at any level.
Suryavanshi was named captain of the team as both regular captain Ayush Mhatre and vice-captain Vihaan Malhotra missed out due to injuries. The duo is expected to return to the squad for the Under-19 World Cup, and so Suryvanshi is playing as a stand-in captain for now.
Suryavanshi surpasses Ahmed Shehzad
The Indian teenager inked a world record, becoming the youngest-ever player to lead a team in a youth ODI. He is also the first player across the globe to lead his side in an international U19 game in any format before completing the age of 16.
Pakistan star Ahmed Shehzad held the record previously, captaining Pakistan’s U-19 team against Australia in Brisbane in 2007. The list also includes
| Player | Age (at youngest instance of them leading their U19 national team in a youth ODI) | Opponent | Venue | Years |
| Vaibhav Suryavanshi | 14 Years, 282 Days | South Africa | Benoni | 2025 |
| Ahmed Shehzad | 15 Years, 141 Days | Australia | Brisbane | 2007 |
| Mehidy Hasan Miraz | 15 Years, 284 Days | Pakistan | Loughborough | 2013 |
| Farhan Zakhil | 15 Years, 302 Days | South Africa | Thiruvananthapuram | 2019 |
| Ambitious Muduma | 15 Years, 351 Days | South Africa | Harare | 2025 |
JL McPhee (Australia), DR Madena (Sri Lanka), DLT Mills (New Zealand), NS Richards (Canada), JJ Tau (Papua New Guinea), D Viljoen (Namibia), and J West (Ireland) have also led the youth teams but their age was not recorded at the time of captaincy.
Suryavanshi’s achievements
He is also the youngest player to lead the team in any format of international cricket at the U19 level. Pakistan's Saad Baig is the youngest to lead the country in a youth Test (16 years, 3 days) and youth T20Is (16 years, 215 days).
The previous youngest player to lead India in a youth ODI was Abhishek Sharma. He captained the junior side at age 16 years, 105 days against South Africa in 2016. Tanmay Srivastava, Aryan Jurel, and Parthiv Patel are the only other players to captain the Indian side before turning 17 in any format.
Vaibhav has broken multiple records, including being the player with the most sixes in Youth ODIs. Also, he became the youngest centurion in both Test and ODI cricket at the U19 level. Vaibhav currently plays for Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
