The rise and rise of the IPL boy wonder continues. Days after his Player of the Series-winning performance in India’s 2-0 clean sweep of Zimbabwe, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been named vice-captain of the Ishan Kishan-led East Zone squad for the upcoming Duleep Trophy, which begins next month.
The squad was finalised during the East Zone Selection Committee meeting held at the Cricket Association of Bengal’s Club House on Wednesday. The selectors also met CAB president Sourav Ganguly before announcing a squad largely comprising players from Bengal and Jharkhand. Sooryavanshi, notably, is the only player from Bihar to make the cut.
More importantly, the appointment underlines the faith Indian selectors now have in the teenager as an all-format cricketer. While he has already taken the IPL and international white-ball circuit by storm, this will be his first selection for the prestigious red-ball zonal tournament, marking another significant milestone in his rapid rise.
Bihar Cricket Association president Harsh Vardhan hailed the youngster’s elevation.
“At such a young age, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi becoming the vice-captain of the East Zone team is a matter of immense pride for Bihar cricket.
“Through his outstanding performances and mature approach to the game, he has earned the trust of the selectors.”
The East Zone squad also features veteran pacer Mohammed Shami, India internationals Mukesh Kumar and Shahbaz Ahmed, along with former India A captain Abhimanyu Easwaran. Besides captain Kishan, Jharkhand are represented by India A players Kumar Kushagra and Anukul Roy.
The Duleep Trophy, which marks the beginning of India’s domestic red-ball season, will be played from August 23 to September 6 at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
East Zone squad: Ishan Kishan (captain), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (vice-captain), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sudip Kumar Gharami, Shahbaz Ahmed, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal, Mohammed Shami, Mukesh Kumar, Kumar Kushagra, Shikjar Mohan, Anukul Roy, Virat Singh, Subhransu Senapati, Denish Das, Abhijit Sarkar.
