Vaibhav Sooryavanshi trains hard in the nets as he gears up for the Duleep Trophy – Watch now!

NEW DELHI: Following a successful tour of Zimbabwe, young Indian cricketer Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is back in training, gearing up for the upcoming domestic season and the Duleep Trophy. The 15-year-old showcased his batting drills in a recent Instagram video, emphasizing both defensive techniques and aggressive strokes. He captioned the post simply with the word “Preparation.”

This training session comes at a pivotal moment in Sooryavanshi's burgeoning career, as he has been appointed vice-captain of the East Zone team for the Duleep Trophy. The squad will be led by seasoned wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan, who is expected to play a crucial role throughout the matches.

Sooryavanshi's promotion to a leadership position has garnered significant attention, particularly due to his youth and rapid ascent in the cricketing world over the past year. East Zone selector Pravanjan Mullick clarified that the decision to name him vice-captain is part of a strategy to gradually prepare him for future responsibilities, rather than overwhelming him with the captaincy right away.

“He has not been made the captain. He has only been made the vice-captain. The captain is Ishan Kishan. Besides, Ishan is a wicketkeeper, so he will be actively involved throughout the day. It is not as though Vaibhav will be captaining the team all day. As he grows, he is maturing day by day. Giving him more responsibility will help him mature even further,” Mullick explained in an interview with Cricbuzz.

Sooryavanshi's prior experience in leadership roles, including serving as vice-captain for Bihar in first-class cricket and being part of India's leadership group during the Under-19 World Cup, further supports this decision. Mullick expressed optimism about Sooryavanshi's potential, stating, “This is a great opportunity for him to take on the responsibility of being vice-captain in the Duleep Trophy. We believe giving young players responsibility is important. Who knows? We are keeping our fingers crossed that one day he could even become India's captain.”

Sooryavanshi's recent training follows an impressive performance in Zimbabwe, where he emerged as India's top run-scorer, amassing 151 runs in three innings with an average of 50.33 and a striking rate of 196.10. His contributions included two half-centuries, one of which was an unbeaten 81, earning him the Player of the Series title as India clinched their first T20I series victory under captain Shreyas Iyer.

This success comes on the heels of a challenging debut series against England, where he struggled to make an impact. Now, with six T20I appearances under his belt and a total of 193 runs at an average of 32.16, Sooryavanshi is poised to face a different challenge in the Duleep Trophy, which will test his skills in the longer format of the game. The East Zone team, featuring notable players like Mohammed Shami and Mukesh Kumar, will kick off their campaign against North Zone in Bengaluru on August 23.