Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s rapid rise continued after the 15-year-old was named vice-captain of the East Zone squad for next month’s Duleep Trophy.
Sooryavanshi will serve as deputy to India wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan in a squad featuring several experienced players, including Mohammed Shami, Mukesh Kumar, Shahbaz Ahmed and former India A captain Abhimanyu Easwaran.
The teenager is the only player from Bihar in the squad.
The meeting was held at the Eden Gardens, and the zonal selectors also met CAB president Sourav Ganguly.
Apart from skipper Kishan, Jharkhand has India A players Kumar Kushagra and Anukul Roy.
Bihar Cricket Association president Harsh Vardhan said: “At such a young age, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi becoming the vice-captain of the East Zone team is a matter of immense pride for Bihar cricket.
“Through his outstanding performances and mature approach to the game, he has earned the trust of the selectors.”
The tournament is slated from August 23 to September 6 at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
East Zone Squad
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Ishan Kishan (captain), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (vc), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sudip Kumar Gharami, Shahbaz Ahmed, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal, Mohammed Shami, Mukesh Kumar, Kumar Kushagra, Shikjar Mohan, Anukul Roy, Virat Singh, Subhransu Senapati, Denish Das, Abhijit Sarkar.
Laxman hails Sooryavanshi’s maturity
Sooryavanshi has shown remarkable maturity over the past six months, a quality that has enabled him to thrive in high-pressure matches after a rapid rise in cricket, coach VVS Laxman said on Sunday.
Sooryavanshi smashed an 18-ball half-century in the opening Twenty20 against Zimbabwe before scoring 81 on Sunday as India completed a 3-0 sweep of the hosts.
The 15-year-old, fast-tracked into international cricket following a breakthrough Indian Premier League season, was named Player of the Series after scoring two half-centuries in the three-match contest.
“Very mature. That’s what I really appreciate about Vaibhav,” Laxman told reporters.
“With every experience and every match, he understands, assesses and gets better. He reviews every practice session, not just matches.
“His maturity, understanding and awareness over the last six months have skyrocketed. That’s why he’s been able to handle tough situations and perform under pressure against the best players.”