Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Video grab)
NEW DELHI: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi may only be 15, but the teenage sensation is already showing the tactical awareness of a seasoned cricketer. After East Zone piled up a mammoth 708, largely courtesy of captain Ishan Kishan ’s magnificent 270, South Zone appeared to be settling into their reply. But Sooryavanshi’s sharp reading of the game helped East Zone strike twice before tea on Day 3.
The youngster had also spoken about his willingness to contribute with the ball during the tournament, joking that he considered himself a “wicket-taker”. Ishan Bhaiya felt like he was taking a risk, but he didn’t know that I am a wicket-taker,” Sooryavanshi said in a video posted by BCCI Domestic. The East Zone vice-captain played a key role in two crucial dismissals as his side tightened the screws on South Zone in the Duleep Trophy final at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. The first breakthrough came when Ricky Bhui appeared to have survived a caught-behind appeal against Mukesh Kumar. The pacer zipped one down the leg side as Bhui attempted to guide it away, but the on-field umpire remained unmoved despite the appeal. During East Zone’s semifinal against Central Zone in Bengaluru, the youngster made another bold DRS call after Aryan Juyal was initially given not out following a caught-behind appeal against Mukesh Kumar. “Opponent team’s wickets weren’t falling, so I was asked to bowl two or three overs. His batting may have made him one of Indian cricket’s most talked-about teenage prospects, but his Duleep Trophy campaign is increasingly showcasing another side of his game.