‘Batting wasn’t enough’: ‘All-rounder’ Sooryavanshi's two wickets in one over leaves RR posting ‘Jadeja’ reaction
Overall, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi bowled just three overs in the match, all in the second innings, and finished with impressive figures of 2/11.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi took global cricket by storm with his T20 batting heroics. After IPL 2026, he offered further glimpses of his talent during the Zimbabwe tour, where he won the Player of the Series award. He then turned his attention to red-ball cricket, hoping to prove that he is more than a one-format player.

While luck did not favour him with the bat on his Duleep Trophy debut on Saturday, Sooryavanshi produced a surprise with the ball on Day 3 of East Zone’s quarter-final against North East Zone at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence.
The teenager picked up two wickets in a single over during North East Zone’s second innings, as they battled to avoid an innings defeat.
It happened in the 28th over, when Sooryavanshi, a left-arm orthodox spinner, dismissed Kishan Lyngdoh with a loopy delivery angled into the batter. Lyngdoh stepped out looking to launch the ball but miscued his shot. Substitute fielder Denish Das backtracked brilliantly before completing an excellent catch at mid-wicket.
The second wicket came off the penultimate ball of the over. Imliwati Lemtur edged the delivery through to wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan, who reacted quickly to take a low catch.
Social media couldn’t contain its excitement as Sooryavanshi not only bowled but also picked up wickets, with fans already labelling the teenager an “all-rounder.”
But one reaction stood out above the rest. Rajasthan Royals, Sooryavanshi’s IPL franchise, appeared to subtly hint at a ‘Ravindra Jadeja’ parallel after the teenager’s bowling burst. The Royals posted: “We don’t say it was obvious, but there were signs.”
Overall, Sooryavanshi bowled just three overs in the match, all in the second innings, and finished with impressive figures of 2/11.
This was not the first time Sooryavanshi had bowled in a first-class match. In his eight appearances in the format, he had previously bowled in five innings and taken two wickets at an average of 28.50. His latest spell, however, offered a glimpse of another dimension to his game.
Earlier, Sooryavanshi, who is also East Zone’s vice-captain, was dismissed for just eight runs off six balls after smashing two consecutive boundaries.
But East Zone were powered to a massive 467 by Shabaz Ahmed’s 167 and Sudip Kumar Gharami’s 146. Abhijit K Sarkar then claimed a five-wicket haul as North East Zone were bowled out for 111, prompting East Zone captain Ishan Porel to enforce the follow-on.
The bowlers continued to dominate in the second innings, reducing North East Zone to 114/8. They still trail by 242 runs with two wickets in hand.
ABOUT THE AUTHORAratrick MondalAratrick Mondal is a senior sports journalist based in New Delhi. In his eight years as a sports writer, Aratrick has worked at leading media organisations, including The Times of India, Times Now, Zee, India TV and currently works at a senior position at Hindustan Times Digital. He writes on cricket, football, pickleball and tennis, among other sports. He has extensively covered India's evolving cricket landscape, the country's new-found love for private leagues such as Indian Pickleball League (IPBL), Ultimate Kho Kho League (UKK), Rugby Premier League (RPL) and several tennis leagues. He has closely covered emerging sports such as pickleball. His coverage of major franchise events lends an atmospheric flavor to his ground reports. His recent story on how SA20 (the domestic cricket league of South Africa) had opened up its grounds to create a carnival-like fan experience garnered major international attention, including appreciation from major cricketers. Tennis holds a special place in his heart. Aratrick has built a strong niche in analytical tennis stories—ranging from Grand Slam narratives and player profiles to tactical breakdowns and ranking trends. His long-form features often decode grand slams, career highs and lows of tennis greats and the upward trajectory of emerging stars. He also closely follows India's tennis landscape, having covered the Davis Cup, Bengaluru Open and Tata Open, among others. His reporting is backed by strong data capabilities, with hands-on experience using tools like Python, Tableau, and Excel to produce visually rich, insight-led stories. This data-first approach enhances accuracy, transparency, and trust. In leadership roles, he has managed editorial shifts, overseen homepage strategy, optimised SEO workflows, and mentored peers to deliver consistent, high-traffic journalism. He recently won the HT DigiStar award for the third quarter of financial year 2025-26. Aratrick is trusted for his balanced reportage, sound sourcing, and ability to translate complex sporting events into engaging narratives that speak to a wide audience. He believes sports is for everyone, not just for the enthusiasts and has a unique ability to bring people together - just like the sumptuous meals you'll often find him cooking on a weekend evening.Read More



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