Duleep Trophy: Why Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Was Named East Zone’s Vice-Captain? Selector Explained

15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's appointment as East Zone vice-captain for the Duleep Trophy sparked debate. Selector Pravanjan Mullick said the move is aimed at nurturing the batting prodigy for future leadership while helping him mature as a cricketer.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (File Photo)

Image Credit: bcci

As Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s career is still at the nascent stage, despite having established himself as the next big thing in international cricket, the 15-year-old prodigy was named the East Zone vice-captain for the upcoming edition of the Duleep Trophy under captain Ishan Kishan.

Since Bihar comes under the East Zone, Sooryavanshi was included in the squad for the Duleep Trophy 2025/26. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s appointment as East Zone’s vice-captain came a day after he played a match-winning 81-run knock in the third and final T20I of the series against Zimbabwe in Harare, earning him Player of the Match as well as Player of the Series for his 151-run total across three matches.

East Zone’s selection committee’s decision to hand over vice-captaincy duties to a 15-year-old batting prodigy has sparked a debate on social media, especially X (formerly Twitter), where many users questioned whether the leadership responsibility was being placed on him too early in his career.

Why Was Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Selected as East Zone’s VC?

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s selection as East Zone’s vice-captain came as a surprise, given that the squad has the likes of Mohammad Shami, Mukesh Kumar, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sudip Kumar Gharami, and Shahbaz Ahmed. However, the selector Pravanjan Mullick gave a reason behind Sooryavanshi’s appointment as EZ’s vice-captain.

Speaking to Cricbuzz, Mullick clarified that the teenager was not handed the captaincy to burden him, but rather to accelerate his development, noting that captain Ishan Kishan being a wicketkeeper would be actively involved all day, while giving Sooryavanshi more responsibility would help him mature further.

“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,” the former Odisha player and selector said.

“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." he added.

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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been playing for the Bihar senior team since January 2024 when he made his first-class debut in the Ranji Trophy against Mumbai. In October last year, he was named the vice-captain of Bihar for the opening two rounds of the Ranji Trophy 2025/26, indicating that East Zone's decision was not entirely unprecedented.

Is Vaibhav a Future India Captain?

Further speaking on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s appointment as East Zone vice-captain, Mullick revealed that giving young players responsibility is crucial, adding that the selectors are keeping their fingers crossed that the teenager could one day even become India's captain.

“This is a great opportunity for him to take on the responsibility of being vice-captain in the Duleep Trophy. He wants to do well for the country, and we believe giving young players responsibility is important,” Pravanjan Mullick said.

“Who knows? We are keeping our fingers crossed that one day he could even become India's captain. That is the thought behind giving him the vice-captaincy," he added.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has already gained domestic, IPL, and international experience at such a young age of 15, including standout stints with the Rajasthan Royals and strong performances in white-ball cricket for India.

Since Vaibhav has already been fast-tracked into the senior India setup following his record-breaking IPL 2026, selectors and team management are banking on his immense potential and maturity to handle high-level leadership roles early on, a strategy mirrored by his prior experience leading Bihar in domestic first-class matches.