India’s rising cricket star, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, has been a force to be reckoned with wherever he has stepped onto the pitch. However, his debut on South African soil didn’t have a good start.

Just before the 2026 Under-19 World Cup, Vaibhav Suryavanshi was dismissed cheaply against South Africa. This match was a special one for Vaibhav, captaining the Indian team for the first time. However, he failed to make the match memorable with his batting, scoring just 11 runs and returning to the pavilion.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s first match as captain

Ahead of the World Cup, a three-match ODI series between the Under-19 teams of India and South Africa began on Saturday, January 3. 14-year-old batsman Vaibhav Suryavanshi has been appointed to lead the Indian team for this series, becoming the youngest captain in cricket history. He assumed this responsibility due to injuries to regular Under-19 captain Ayush Mhatre and vice-captain Vihaan Malhotra, who are not part of the tour.

In such a scenario, this match was a significant milestone in Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s career, and all eyes were on him. However, Vaibhav, who had provided explosive starts in several previous matches, couldn’t replicate the same this time.

In his first innings as captain, Vaibhav was dismissed within 12 balls, scoring just 11 runs, including two fours. He was the second batsman to be dismissed on the first ball of the seventh over of the Indian innings. He had previously lost opener Aaron George’s wicket on the first ball of the second over.

In the first match of the series, played in Benoni, South Africa, not only Vaibhav, but Team India’s top order completely failed. After George and Vaibhav, wicketkeeper Abhigyan Kundu and Vedant Trivedi briefly steadied the innings and put together a 33-run partnership. However, Kundu was run out in the 14th over, breaking the partnership. The impact was visible, and Vedant Trivedi also returned to the pavilion in the very next over.