Vaibhav Sooryavanshi impressed in his first stint as captain on Sunday during the Duleep Trophy semi-final against Central Zone at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground 1 in Bengaluru, with a DRS gamble paying off and leaving the teenager overjoyed.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi stepped in as a skipper during Duleep Trophy game
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Sooryavanshi, the designated vice-captain of the East Zone side, stepped into the leadership role after regular captain Ishan Kishan left the field during the opening session with a finger injury to his right hand.
In the 40th over of Central Zone’s innings, East Zone players broke into a loud appeal for a caught behind, convinced wicketkeeper-batter Atyan Juyal, batting on 46, had edged a delivery from fast bowler Mukesh Kumar. However, the umpire turned down the appeal.
Mukesh immediately looked towards Sooryavanshi and tried to convince him that there had been a slight outside edge. But, as seen in a clip shared by BCCI Domestic on social media, the 15-year-old had heard no obvious sound and appeared unsure about the review.
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With the clock ticking down, Sooryavanshi eventually opted to take the DRS.
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With the clock ticking down, Sooryavanshi eventually opted to take the DRS.
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UltraEdge then showed a small spike as the ball passed the bat, confirming the edge. Sooryavanshi immediately erupted in joy as his gamble paid off.
Put in to bat, Central Zone crossed the 200-run mark in the final session of Day 1 for the loss of six wickets. Rinku Singh led the way with a half-century and stitched together a fifty-plus partnership with Saransh Jain, who joined the side immediately after making his India debut in the Test series in Sri Lanka that ended last week.
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East Zone had qualified for the semi-finals after defeating North East Zone by an innings in the quarter-finals last week. Sooryavanshi had little impact with the bat, scoring just eight off six deliveries, but he surprised with the ball by picking up two wickets in a single over.
Aratrick 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.
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Home/Cricket/Vaibhav Sooryavanshi takes DRS call despite doubt, erupts after gamble pays off in Duleep Trophy match
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