Batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi endured a disappointing return to competitive cricket on Sunday, managing just eight runs off six balls for East Zone in the Duleep Trophy quarter-final against North East Zone in Bengaluru. The East Zone vice-captain made an aggressive start, taking on pacer Bishworjit Konthoujam with back-to-back boundaries in the second over to signal his intent. However, Konthoujam had the final say, dismissing Sooryavanshi off the last ball of the over to provide North East Zone with an early breakthrough.
Konthoujam pitched a back-of-a-length delivery outside off stump, and Sooryavanshi flashed hard at it, only to find the fielder at gully. The youngster looked disappointed as he made his way back to the dressing room after a brief stay at the crease.
Exciting early battle
Bishworjit Konthoujam wins the contest against Vaibhav Sooryavanshi #DuleepTrophy
Scorecard https://t.co/XJFhfvvTIU pic.twitter.com/4xGnLaAhpx
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) August 23, 2026
On Saturday, former India captain Rahul Dravid said that Sooryvanshi development needs to be balanced well, with priority given to both white-ball and red-ball formats, the latter of which he has not delivered much at the senior level.
“I think you always have to find that balance. And I think it is a great thing that Vaibhav is getting the experience of playing some white-ball cricket through the IPL in India, but he is also having the time to go back and play red-ball cricket in the Indian domestic system and grow his red-ball career,” he said.
“All of us also want to see Test cricket survive, all of us want to see Test cricket grow, and we need players like him to be able to hopefully play all formats of the game,” he added.
Sooryvanshi only played 12 innings for Bihar in eight First-Class games with a top score of 93 and an average of 17 plus, which is nothing to write home about.
Sooryavanshi made his international debut at the age of 15 during the tour of England, but could not touch the 20-run mark in three innings he played there. India lost the series 1-4. During the second T20I at Manchester against England, Sooryavanshi debuted for India at the age of 15 years and 99 days, becoming India’s youngest international cricketer, breaking the long-standing record of Sachin Tendulkar (Test debut at 16 years 205 days; ODI at 16 years 238 days).
His tour to Zimbabwe was much better, topping the run-charts with 151 runs in three innings with two fifties at an average of 50.33 and a strike rate of 196.10, including a knock of 81. He secured the ‘Player of the Series’ award as India sealed their first series under newly-appointed T20I skipper Shreyas Iyer after losses to Ireland and England.
In six T20Is, he has made 193 runs at an average of 32.16 and a strike rate of 189.21, with two fifties.
(With Agency Inputs)
Featured Video Of The Day
Spain’s World Cup Champions Celebrate Wildly At Cibeles Square
Topics mentioned in this article
