Vaibhav Sooryavanshi could miss the Duleep Trophy final despite being named in South Zone’s squad, with his participation now dependent on India head coach Gautam Gambhir and the team’s plans for the upcoming Afghanistan T20I series.
South Zone will face East Zone in the Duleep Trophy final at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai from September 6, but Sooryavanshi’s availability has become uncertain because India’s T20I squad is due to assemble in Delhi shortly afterwards.
The 15-year-old has been included in India’s squad for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, which begins on September 13. That creates a narrow window in which Sooryavanshi could play a domestic first-class final before joining the national side.
Why Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s participation is uncertain
Unlike KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal and Mohammed Siraj, Sooryavanshi has not been specifically asked to play the Duleep Trophy final.
The three senior players have been encouraged to feature because they currently have no competitive cricket before India’s next ODI assignment against the West Indies on September 27.
Sooryavanshi’s situation is different because he is part of the T20I squad that will begin preparations for Afghanistan.
A BCCI source told PTI that the final decision on Sooryavanshi, along with South Zone captain Tilak Varma and Ishan Kishan, rests with Gambhir.
“The Indian team will assemble in Delhi on either September 9 or 10. If head coach wants all three to report as per T20I team’s itinerary, then the trio can’t play,” the source said.
“But if head coach wants them to play the final and report to Delhi on September 10 late evening, they can also do that.”
That means Sooryavanshi could potentially play the entire Duleep Trophy final before travelling to Delhi, but only if the national team management believes the additional first-class match is worthwhile.
Why the Duleep Trophy final matters for Sooryavanshi
For a player of Sooryavanshi’s age, the opportunity to play a high-profile first-class final would be significant.
The Duleep Trophy provides him with exposure to a different format from the T20 cricket in which he has made his name. Spending four days in a red-ball contest would test his technique, concentration and ability to construct an innings over a longer period.
That experience could be particularly valuable given the trajectory of his career.
Sooryavanshi has rapidly moved into India’s T20 plans, but a first-class final against strong opposition would offer the national setup another opportunity to observe how his game translates to red-ball cricket.
There is also the simple question of match practice. If Gambhir feels Sooryavanshi is better served by playing a competitive game before joining the T20I camp, the timing makes it possible.
Why Gautam Gambhir has the final say
The decision ultimately comes down to priorities.
India’s Afghanistan series begins just three days after the Duleep Trophy final is scheduled to finish. The national team is expected to assemble in Delhi on September 9 or 10, leaving very little margin between the domestic final and international duty.
Gambhir therefore has to balance two competing considerations.
One is giving Sooryavanshi meaningful red-ball cricket. The other is ensuring that a young player entering the national T20I setup is fresh and properly prepared for the Afghanistan series.
The management may also want the selected T20I players together as early as possible, particularly with the series beginning on September 13.
If Gambhir wants Sooryavanshi to report with the rest of the squad, the Duleep Trophy final is effectively ruled out.
If he is comfortable with Sooryavanshi joining the team later on September 10, the teenager can potentially play the final.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is not the only player caught between the two assignments
Tilak Varma and Ishan Kishan face the same uncertainty.
Tilak, who captained South Zone in their semi-final win over North Zone, scored a century in the first innings and an unbeaten 51 in the second. He has already expressed his desire to play the final.
But he too is part of India’s T20I squad for Afghanistan.
That makes the selection dilemma broader than Sooryavanshi alone, although the teenager’s situation is arguably the most intriguing because of his age and the speed of his rise into the international setup.
A chance to add first-class experience
Sooryavanshi’s potential appearance would also fit into a broader question around how India manage a young player who has already attracted attention through T20 cricket.
The Duleep Trophy final would provide a completely different examination.
A T20 innings can be shaped around aggression and immediate scoring opportunities. A first-class match demands patience, judgement and the ability to deal with changing conditions over a much longer period.
For Sooryavanshi, that could make the Chennai final a useful learning experience rather than simply another fixture.
But the decision is ultimately Gambhir’s.
With India’s Afghanistan series approaching and the team scheduled to gather in Delhi just days after the Duleep Trophy final begins, the head coach must decide whether Sooryavanshi’s development is best served by another competitive red-ball match or by getting him into the national setup early.
For now, the answer remains unclear – meaning Sooryavanshi’s place in the Duleep Trophy final is one of the key selection calls to watch before South Zone take on East Zone in Chennai.