At just 15, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi showed impressive composure as East Zone’s stand-in captain during their Duleep Trophy semifinal against Central Zone in Bengaluru.
He took charge after regular skipper Ishan Kishan suffered a thumb injury while keeping wickets. Sooryavanshi’s biggest moment came in the 40th over when Aryan Juyal was batting on 46. Central Zone had reached 99/3 after 40 overs, with East Zone’s bowlers already applying pressure. When an appeal for a caught-behind dismissal was turned down, Sooryavanshi boldly called for DRS despite uncertainty among his teammates. UltraEdge detected a small spike, confirming the edge and giving East Zone an important breakthrough.
The decision highlighted Sooryavanshi’s confidence and maturity in his first senior first-class captaincy opportunity. East Zone had made early inroads after opting to bowl first. Abhijit K Sarkar claimed two wickets, while Mukesh Kumar dismissed Central Zone captain Rajat Patidar for 12. Juyal’s dismissal added further pressure on the Central Zone as East Zone continued searching for wickets. Sooryavanshi had already contributed with the ball earlier in the tournament against North East Zone, taking two wickets. His willingness to trust his instincts as captain added another impressive moment to his growing reputation.
Ishan Kishan suffers wrist injury, hands East Zone captaincy to youngster Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
Ishan Kishan suffered a hand injury during East Zone’s Duleep Trophy semifinal against Central Zone in Bengaluru, forcing him to leave the field and hand over the captaincy. Kishan was keeping wickets when a delivery struck his right wrist during the 19th over of Central Zone’s innings. He immediately received treatment from the team physiotherapists before walking off the field for further medical attention. Kishan was later seen with his hand strapped, while Jharkhand teammate Kumar Kushagra took over wicketkeeping duties.
Kishan had won the toss earlier and opted to bowl first, but his injury created an unexpected leadership change for East Zone. Fifteen-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who had been named vice-captain, stepped up to lead the side for the first time in senior first-class cricket. The teenager took charge during the 19th over and began directing field placements and bowling changes. The injury also meant Kishan could no longer continue his wicketkeeping responsibilities, adding to the significance of Sooryavanshi’s sudden promotion. East Zone had already made early breakthroughs, reducing Central Zone to 36/2.