Bengaluru, August 30, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi took on his first captaincy role in senior first-class cricket after being named stand-in captain of East Zone for their Duleep Trophy semifinal against Central Zone on Sunday.
Sooryavanshi, the East Zone vice-captain, assumed charge after regular skipper Ishan Kishan was forced off the field following a blow to his right thumb while keeping wickets during Central Zone’s innings.
Kumar Kushagara replaced Kishan behind the stumps, while Sooryavanshi took over the captaincy temporarily.
The 17-year-old has been one of the talking points of the Duleep Trophy. Although he scored only eight runs against North East Zone in the quarterfinal, he contributed with the ball, claiming two wickets as East Zone secured an innings-and-210-run victory.
Reflecting on his bowling role in a video posted by BCCI Domestic, Sooryavanshi said batters generally enjoy bowling when given the opportunity.
“If you ask any batter, they always enjoy bowling. A batter always enjoys bowling and a bowler always enjoys batting equally,” he said.
The youngster also revealed that Kishan took a calculated risk by handing him the ball when wickets were hard to come by.
“Opponent team’s wickets weren’t falling, so I was asked to bowl two or three overs. Ishan Bhaiya felt like he was taking a risk, but he didn’t know that I am a wicket-taker,” he added.
In the semifinal, East Zone won the toss and elected to field against Rajat Patidar-led Central Zone. Off-spin all-rounder Saransh Jain returned to the Central Zone XI after making his India debut during the Colombo Test against Sri Lanka earlier this month.
East Zone made a strong start, restricting Central Zone to 81/3 in 32 overs in the opening session. Abhijit K Sarkar claimed two wickets and Mukesh Kumar one, while Mohammed Shami engaged in a fiery contest with Patidar.
Sarkar dismissed Aman Mokhade and Kunal Chandela in the first hour before Mukesh bowled Patidar late in the second hour, giving East Zone early control.
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