In a remarkable moment in Indian domestic cricket, 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi took over as captain of East Zone during their Duleep Trophy semifinal against Central Zone on Sunday.
Sooryavanshi entered the match as East Zone’s vice-captain, with Ishan Kishan leading the side. However, Kishan was forced to leave the field after suffering an injury to his right wrist while keeping wickets.
The incident occurred during the 19th over of Central Zone’s innings. Kishan received treatment from the team physios before walking off for further assessment. He was later seen with his hand strapped, while his Jharkhand teammate Kumar Kushagra took over wicketkeeping duties.
With the regular skipper temporarily unavailable, the leadership responsibility fell on Sooryavanshi, who became captain of a senior men’s side at just 15.
A remarkable rise for Sooryavanshi
The teenager’s promotion comes only weeks after he was named East Zone’s vice-captain for the Duleep Trophy. The selection had attracted attention because of his age, but selectors had defended the decision as part of his long-term development.
Jharkhand selector and member of the East Zone selection committee Manish Vardhan had previously explained that the selectors were not thinking only about the present when making the decision.
Sooryavanshi is playing only his second Duleep Trophy match and his 10th first-class game. He made his first-class debut for Bihar in early 2024 and has since emerged as one of the most closely followed young cricketers in India.
East Zone make early inroads
The captaincy change came during a strong start for East Zone’s bowling attack. Central Zone, led by Rajat Patidar, lost two early wickets after East Zone opted to bowl first.
Tripura pacer Abhijit Sarkar dismissed Aman Mokhade and Kunal Chandela, leaving Central Zone struggling at 36 for two before Kishan’s injury forced the leadership reshuffle.
For Sooryavanshi, the unexpected responsibility adds another chapter to an extraordinary rise that has already seen him make headlines as a teenage batter and international player.
The 15-year-old now faces the challenge of leading East Zone in a high-stakes Duleep Trophy semifinal against the defending champions — a responsibility that would be unusual even for a far more experienced first-class cricketer.
