Teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi added another milestone to his young career as he took over as the stand-in captain of East Zone during their Duleep Trophy semifinal against Central Zone at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru on Sunday.
He also revealed what Kishan told him before handing him the ball. Sooryavanshi, who was named East Zone’s vice-captain for the contest, stepped in as skipper after regular captain Ishan Kishan was forced to leave the field following an injury while keeping wickets. Kishan was hit on his right hand while keeping wickets during Central Zone’s innings. He received treatment from the physios before walking off the field for further assessment. Kumar Kushagara replaced Kishan behind the stumps, while Sooryavanshi took over as the stand-in captain of East Zone. Kishan later returned to the field with his hand strapped and resumed his role as captain. The captaincy stint marked Sooryavanshi’s first experience of leading a senior team in first-class cricket. His appointment had attracted attention given his age, but the selection committee backed the decision. “If you ask any batter, they always enjoy bowling. “Opponent team’s wickets weren’t falling, so I was asked to bowl two or three overs. Ishan Bhaiya felt like he was taking a risk, but he didn’t know that I am a wicket-taker,” he added. Abhijit K Sarkar picked up two wickets, dismissing Aman Mokhade and Kunal Chandela, while Mukesh Kumar accounted for Central Zone captain Rajat Patidar. Mohammed Shami also had a fiery contest with Patidar during the opening session as East Zone made early inroads.
The 15-year-old had been appointed East Zone’s vice-captain for the semifinal, with Ishan Kishan named as the regular skipper.
Speaking about his bowling role after the game, Sooryavanshi said that batters enjoy bowling just as bowlers enjoy batting. A batter always enjoys bowling and a bowler always enjoys batting equally,” Sooryavanshi said in a video posted by BCCI Domestic.
