Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's elevation to Duleep Trophy vice-captaincy deemed ‘avoidable’: ‘Unnecessary pressure on kid’

East Zone selectors criticised for making Vaibhav Sooryavanshi the vice-captain for the Duleep Trophy.

Updated on: Aug 7, 2026, 12:40:46 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

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Priyank Panchal, the domestic cricket stalwart, is the latest name to voice his concern with 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi being made the vice-captain of East Zone for the upcoming Duleep Trophy. In the Zonal tournament, the left-handed batter would serve as the deputy to Ishan Kishan. However, the latest move has not gone down well with several fans and experts, saying the youngster should be given time to adjust to the demands of the sport.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is the vice-captain of East Zone for the Duleep Trophy. (AP)

Sooryavanshi's elevation to vice-captaincy came just days after he was adjudged as Player of the Series in Zimbabwe, where he scored 151 runs in the three matches, including an 81-run knock in the third and final T20I.

It is worth highlighting that Sooryavanshi has played only eight first-class games for Bihar, and he was chosen as Kishan's deputy ahead of Abhimanyu Easwaran, who has 113 first-class appearances.

Also Read: Ajinkya Rahane tells Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s family to keep their kid disciplined: ‘He needs the right guidance’

However, Panchal has now stated that making Sooryavanshi the vice-captain could have been avoided, as the need of the hour is for him to understand the dynamics of red-ball cricket.

“I think the zonal selectors could have avoided making Vaibhav Sooryavanshi the East Zone vice captain. It could put unnecessary pressure on the young kid. Let him understand the dynamics of red ball cricket first, properly, before entrusting such duties upon him. Thoughts? #DuleepTrophy,” Panchal wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

‘Not present’

Earlier, an East Zone selector defended the move, saying the call was made with the future in mind. He also added that becoming vice-captain would help Sooryavanshi better understand the game.

"We are not thinking about the present alone," Manish Vardhan, the former cricketer who is Jharkhand's representative on the East Zone selection committee, told Cricinfo.

“A vice-captain gets to observe the captain closely and understand how a team is run. We wanted Vaibhav to be more involved with the group because we think it will help him as he develops. He's an extremely talented cricketer and is maturing steadily. Giving him this responsibility is another part of that process,” he added.

The 63rd edition of the Duleep Trophy will get underway on August 23, with East Zone taking on North-East Zone and West Zone taking on North Zone.

The winners of these two matches will then play South Zone and Central Zone in the semi-finals on August 30. The final is scheduled for September 5. All the matches are scheduled to be played at the BCCI's 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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