Overview
- East Zone announced on Wednesday that 15‑year‑old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will serve as vice‑captain under Ishan Kishan for the Duleep Trophy, a squad that also includes veteran pacer Mohammed Shami.
- Selector Pravanjan Mullick defended the move as developmental, saying Sooryavanshi will not carry full leadership duties and that the role is meant to give him exposure and accelerate his maturity.
- Critics and analysts have questioned the appointment because Sooryavanshi has limited red‑ball experience, with roughly 207 first‑class runs in eight matches and an average near 17.25, a point raised publicly by commentators such as Harsha Bhogle.
- The Duleep Trophy runs from August 23 to September 6 at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, and East Zone selectors say the competition will be a key red‑ball audition watched by national selectors.
- The decision creates a mentorship dynamic where established players like Kishan and Shami are expected to shelter the teenager while the role places fresh pressure on Sooryavanshi to translate white‑ball form into multi‑day performance.