Days after showing that he can contribute with more than just part-time left-arm spin, 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi impressed in a brief stint as East Zone’s stand-in captain in their Duleep Trophy semi-final against Central Zone in Bengaluru on Sunday, August 30. Sooryavanshi was visibly excited by the opportunity to lead the side after captain Ishan Kishan suffered a finger injury in the 19th over of the day’s play. And guess what? The teenager nailed his first-ever review as captain at this level.
In the 40th over, Sooryavanshi took a review after fast bowler Mukesh Kumar convinced him to challenge a caught-behind appeal that had been turned down. Fielding at slip, Sooryavanshi was among those convinced that Central Zone batter Aryan Juyal had edged the length delivery. When the on-field umpire remained unmoved, the teenager called for a review and sent the decision upstairs.
Much to the delight of the East Zone stand-in captain and Mukesh, the replays showed a clear disturbance on the UltraEdge as the ball passed the bat, suggesting there had been an edge. The on-field umpire was forced to overturn the decision, proving Sooryavanshi’s hunch right.
The 15-year-old was thrilled to bits and celebrated with his teammates, clearly delighted at getting his first review right. He did not need much convincing, having read the play from the slip cordon. The on-air commentator also praised the youngster for staying switched on, noting that he had not heard anything on the stump microphone. Wicketkeeper Kumar Kushagra, who took over the gloves in Kishan’s absence, was equally excited after playing his part in convincing Sooryavanshi to go upstairs.
Central Zone slipped to 99 for 4 in the 40th over after a well-set Juyal fell four runs short of his half-century.
It was Sooryavanshi’s first taste of captaincy at this level. He was named East Zone’s vice-captain for the Duleep Trophy, a zone-based red-ball domestic tournament, and led the side for close to 20 overs before Kishan, his fingers taped, returned to the field. Kishan did not resume wicketkeeping after returning, however.
Sooryavanshi will now be keen to make a bigger impact with the bat after a quiet outing in the quarter-final against NorthEast Zone. The Rajasthan Royals youngster managed just eight runs but impressed with his left-arm spin, picking up two wickets. East Zone batted only once, posting 467 and beating NorthEast Zone by an innings and 210 runs.
Before joining the East Zone squad for the Duleep Trophy, Sooryavanshi had already made a statement with the bat in a T20I series against Zimbabwe, hitting two half-centuries. The 15-year-old had endured a much-scrutinised start to his international career after making his debut in England, where he struggled to make an impact and failed to score more than 20 in any of his three T20Is. But he responded in Zimbabwe, showing the temperament and batting ability that had made him one of the most talked-about young talents in Indian cricket.
Sooryavanshi’s rise has been remarkably swift. After a record-breaking IPL 2026 campaign with Rajasthan Royals, where he amassed 776 runs at a strike rate of 237.30 and won the Orange Cap and MVP award, he carried that form into the India A tri-series in Sri Lanka. In the final against Sri Lanka A, he smashed 94 off just 29 balls, racing to his half-century in only 11 deliveries. The teenager has since added senior international cricket to his growing list of achievements, but his brief stint as East Zone captain suggests there may be another dimension to his game waitin
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