Fifteen-year-old
The pivotal moment occurred in the 40th over of the innings. Central Zone batter Aryan Juyal, who was well-set on 46, attempted to play a delivery from Mukesh Kumar outside the off stump. While the East Zone fielders were convinced they heard an edge, the on-field umpire remained unmoved by their appeals. Despite some hesitation among his teammates, Sooryavanshi made the decisive call to trigger the Decision Review System (DRS). The subsequent UltraEdge analysis confirmed a faint spike, vindicating the young leader and sending Juyal back to the pavilion.
An unexpected leadership opportunity
Sooryavanshi, who serves as the team's vice-captain, was thrust into the leadership role after regular skipper Ishan Kishan was forced to leave the field due to a thumb injury sustained while wicketkeeping. With Kumar Kushagra stepping in behind the stumps, the responsibility of managing the field and bowling changes fell to the 15-year-old.
This performance adds to an eventful tournament for the youngster. While he had a quiet outing with the bat in the quarter-final against North East Zone, scoring only eight runs, he proved his utility by claiming two wickets. Reflecting on his role in the squad, Sooryavanshi expressed his enthusiasm for contributing across all facets of the game. In a video shared by BCCI Domestic, he noted that he enjoys the dual nature of his responsibilities, jokingly remarking that while his captain felt he was taking a risk by handing him the ball, he considers himself a natural wicket-taker.
East Zone maintain early pressure
The match began with East Zone winning the toss and electing to field, a decision that paid dividends throughout the opening session. The bowling attack maintained consistent pressure on the Central Zone lineup, reducing them to 81/3 after 32 overs. Abhijit K Sarkar provided the early momentum by dismissing both Aman Mokhade and Kunal Chandela, while Mukesh Kumar successfully accounted for Central Zone captain Rajat Patidar.
The contest also featured the return of Saransh Jain to the Central Zone side following his recent Test debut for India. Despite the experienced opposition, it was the tactical intervention of the teenage stand-in captain that defined the afternoon, keeping East Zone firmly in the hunt during a high-stakes semifinal clash.
