Ishan Kishan thought he was taking ‘risk’, but Vaibhav Sooryavanshi had final laugh: ‘He doesn’t know I'm wicket-taker'

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi opens up on scalping two wickets in the Duleep Trophy match against the North East Zone.

Updated on: Aug 29, 2026, 11:06:54 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, a 15-year-old, is quickly becoming an enigma. If not with the bat, he will surely get you with the ball. The youngster continues to have the Midas touch, and he came to the rescue of the East Zone in the Duleep Trophy when the Ishan Kishan-led side was having trouble taking the wickets of the North East Zone. Sooryavanshi made an impact as a left-arm spinner, claiming two wickets in the second innings. He finished with impressive figures of 2/11 from three overs, helping East Zone tighten their grip on the contest.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi opens up on scalping two wickets in the Duleep Trophy match (Screengrab - BCCI Domestic)

Days after East Zone's victory, Sooryavanshi gave an insight into his mindset when he has the ball in hand. He also revealed that skipper Kishan thought he was taking a risk in asking him to bowl, saying the wicketkeeper didn't know much about his prowess with the ball.

Sooryavanshi first dismissed Kishan Lyngdoh, who attempted to attack the spinner but miscued his shot towards mid-wicket. The youngster then struck a few balls later, with Imliwati Lemtur edging behind to the wicketkeeper.

Also Read: ‘Batting wasn’t enough’: ‘All-rounder’ Sooryavanshi's two wickets in one over leaves RR posting ‘Jadeja’ reaction

“If you ask any batter, he enjoys bowling. Or if you ask a bowler, he enjoys batting. The opponents weren't losing wickets, so I was asked to bowl 2-3 overs. Ishan bhaiya thought that he was taking a risk in giving me the ball. But he didn't know that I'm a wicket taker,” Sooryavanshi said in a video shared by BCCI Domestic.

"I always knew that even if I take five wickets, I will only get three overs to bowl. So I tried to bowl as well as I could. I was just trying to repeatedly land the ball in one area. It's a lot of fun. I didn't do well with the bat in the last match. So it's a lot of fun to contribute to the team's bowling. And of course, if a batter takes a wicket, he never enjoys it more than that. So it's a lot of fun," he added.

Disappointing with the bat

Sooryavanshi, who is the East Zone's vice-captain, had a disappointing day with the bat in the match, managing eight runs off just six balls. He didn't get a chance to walk out the second time around as East Zone wrapped up the contest by an innings and 210 runs.

The youngster's double strike in the second innings reduced North East Zone from 75/5 to 79/7, underlining his ability to contribute even when his batting does not fire.

East Zone had posted 467 before bowling North East Zone out for 111 and enforcing the follow-on. Sooryavanshi’s two-wicket burst further strengthened their position as they pushed towards a comprehensive victory.

Sooryavanshi will be in action next on Sunday, when the East Zone takes on Centre Zone in the Duleep Trophy semi-final at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

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