Indian Commentator Questions Making Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Vice-Captain of East Zone
With Ishan Kishan at the helm, many were astonished to see the 15-year-old Sooryavanshi given such a significant role so early in his career
XtraTime Newsdesk: The East Zone selectors pulled a rabbit out of the hat when they named Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as vice-captain for the forthcoming Duleep Trophy 2026-27 domestic season. With Ishan Kishan at the helm, many were astonished to see the 15-year-old Sooryavanshi given such a significant role so early in his career. While some fans and experts applauded the decision, others struggled to grasp the reasoning behind the radical move. Indian analyst Harsha Bhogle, was among many who questioned why the adolescent prodigy was elevated to a leadership role, especially in the red-ball event, where he has yet to succeed.
Even making the East Zone squad was a significant achievement for Sooryavanshi, representing another step in his meteoric ascent following remarkable performances in the IPL and international cricket. The kid is now destined for a long stint in red-ball cricket, where he is probably at the bottom of his development curve.
"I wonder what the thinking is behind making Sooryavanshi vice-captain of a senior red-ball team. He has played 12 innings for 207 runs @ 17.25. His talent is extraordinary, but there is a learning curve, and he is at the bottom of it in red-ball cricket," Bhogle posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Sooryavanshi is slated to start the innings with experienced Bengal batsman Abhimanyu Easwaran. Despite his developing reputation in white-ball cricket, Sooryavanshi has just eight first-class matches under his belt, scoring 207 runs with a high of 93. The Duleep Trophy will allow the left-hander to better establish himself in the lengthier format.
The roster also includes seasoned Indian pacers Mohammed Shami and Mukesh Kumar, who offer weight to the bowling assault.
East Zone squad: Ishan Kishan (captain), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (vice-captain), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sudip Gharami, Mohammed Shami, Mukesh Kumar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Suraj Jaiswal, Virat Singh, Kumar Kushagra, Shikhar Mohan, Subhranshu Senapati, Abhijit Sarkar, Anukul Roy, and Denish Das.