Kolkata: On the back of their superb form in India jersey, Jharkhand captain Ishan Kishan has been appointed as the leader of the 15-member East Zone squad for the upcoming Duleep Trophy, while boss baby Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was named his deputy following a selection committee meeting held at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Wednesday.The men’s domestic season opening red-ball meet is scheduled to take place at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru from Aug 23 to Sept 6. The east zone selectors named five stand-bys along with the squad.Expectedly Bengal and Jharkhand players dominated the squad but 15-year-old Sooryavanshi’s inclusion as the vice-captain on his zonal red-ball debut indicates the Board’s good intention towards grooming the teen sensation as an all-format player at senior level. The Samastipur lad is also the only player from Bihar in the squad, while top-order batter-wicketkeeper Ayush Loharuka finds a place among the stand-bys.Former India A skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran, veteran India pacer Mohammed Shami, India internationals Mukesh Kumar and Shahbaz Ahmed are among the six players from Bengal in the squad.Apart from India wicketkeeper-batter Kishan, India A players Kumar Kushagra and all-rounder Anukul Roy are other notable Jharkhand players in the squad among others.Subhransu Senapati is the only Odisha player in the squad, while Denish Das represents Assam.Heaping praises on Sooryavanshi’s selection as vice-captain at such a young age, Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) president Harsh Vardhan said, “It is a matter of pride for Bihar cricket that Vaibhav Suryavanshi has been appointed vice-captain of East Zone team at such a young age. He has earned the selectors’ confidence through his outstanding performance and a mature approach to the game. We are confident that he will continue to bring glory to Bihar and the country.”BCA secretary Ziaul Arfin added, “Vaibhav’s selection as the East Zone vice-captain is a testament to his hard work, discipline, and exceptional cricketing skills. This is a proud moment for the Bihar Cricket Association and for every young cricketer in the state.”East Zone Squad: Ishan Kishan (c), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (vc), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sudip Kumar Gharami, Shahbaz Ahmed, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal, Mohammed Shami, Mukesh Kumar, Kumar Kushagra, Shikhar Mohan, Anukul Roy, Virat Singh, Subhransu Senapati, Denish Das, Abhijit Sarkar. Stand-bys: Ayush Loharuka, Sridam Paul, Sambit Baral, Sharandeep Singh, Swastik Samal.
