Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Faces Red-ball And Leadership Test As Duleep Trophy Kicks Off (Preview)

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi faces red-ball and leadership test as Duleep Trophy kicks off (Preview) (Image Source: IANS)

India U19s: India's teenage prodigy will be passing through the lens of several cricket fans over the next fortnight as he gears up for a red-ball and leadership challenge. The now 15-year-old was made the vice-captain of the Ishan Kishan-led East Zone side for the upcoming Duleep Trophy as the tournament kicks off India's domestic season.

Sooryavanshi's appointment in the squad, which had the likes of Abhimanyu Easwaran, Mohammed Shami and Mukesh Kumar, opened a new door of discussion. The prodigy has not set the stage alight in first-class cricket, as he has done in the IPL, India U19s and the senior Indian team of late. His numbers call for further attention to how the teenager will go about his business in the four-day red-ball tournament, where East Zone open their campaign against North East Zone.

Sooryavanshi has scored 207 runs in eight FC matches and has a career best of 93, which he scored against Meghalaya last year. His average of 17.25 does not do justice to the ceiling he has set in other competitions. The 15-year-old was recently named the Player of the Series on India's T20I tour to Zimbabwe with two half-centuries, after he made a forgettable debut in England earlier. The eyes will be pinned on him, but there also remain a few other aspects as the domestic season convenes.

India will also look further to build their fast-bowling arsenal. With Jasprit Bumrah having had to deal with injuries and being managed, his absence leaves the Indian team with a considerable void. Although the likes of Auqib Nabi and Gurnoor Brar have emerged and shown they can add crucial facets to the department, they haven't been tested in Test cricket.

Both are currently with the Indian touring party in Sri Lanka for the two-match Test series, but it wouldn't be naive if the selectors ask them to join their respective domestic squads, especially if they have to warm the benches as they did in the first Test in Galle.

Then the attention also turns to Mohammed Shami, who seems to be defiant about stopping even if he has not played a single Test for India in over three years now. He has been regularly turning out for the domestic season and picked up 37 wickets in the last Ranji Trophy. Shami has also been vocal about not being selected in the Indian side in any of the three formats, with his last outing in the Blue coming in the 2025 Champions Trophy.

It would also be interesting to keep a tap on the likes of Arshdeep Singh, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Prithvi Shaw and Ravichandran Smaran. Arshdeep can give a shot in the arm to India in the red-ball format if he begins to find the brilliance that he produces in the T20Is. A left-arm fast-bowler in the Test side is something that the Indian team has not had for a long time now.

Then the attention also turns to Mohammed Shami, who seems to be defiant about stopping even if he has not played a single Test for India in over three years now. He has been regularly turning out for the domestic season and picked up 37 wickets in the last Ranji Trophy. Shami has also been vocal about not being selected in the Indian side in any of the three formats, with his last outing in the Blue coming in the 2025 Champions Trophy.

The Duleep Trophy will run from August 23 to September 9 with six teams playing in the regional format. East Zone will be up against North East Zone, while North Zone will face West Zone in the two quarterfinals. Central Zone and South Zone await the winners of the quarterfinals and are in the semifinals. The final will be played from September 6 onwards in Chennai.

Article Source: IANS