Vaibhav Sooryavanshi takes over as East Zone stand-in captain during Duleep Trophy 2026 semi-final in Bengaluru

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, 15, assumed the role of stand-in captain for East Zone during the 19th over of Central Zone’s innings in the Duleep Trophy 2026 semi-final in Bengaluru on Day 1 after Ishan Kishan left the field with a finger injury. The teenager, who had been named vice-captain ahead of the match, stepped into the leadership role unexpectedly when Kishan was forced off.

East Zone reached the semi-final after a quarter-final win over Northeast Zone, while Central Zone advanced as the previous season’s Duleep Trophy winners. Sooryavanshi had made his Duleep Trophy debut for East Zone against North East Zone on August 23, 2026, and had attracted attention in the squad as the side’s appointed vice-captain. The young all-rounder had contributed with the ball in the tournament after missing out with the bat earlier in the campaign.

Sooryavanshi took over captaincy responsibilities during play and Kumar Kushagra from Jharkhand took over the wicket-keeping duties after Kishan left the field. The match marked Sooryavanshi’s first time leading a senior first-class side; observers noted he appeared composed while organising field placements and managing on-field duties.

A decisive moment came when Central Zone opener Aryan Juyal was on 46 and Mukesh Kumar appealed, prompting Sooryavanshi to request a review that was upheld despite being taken late. "Stand-in Captain Vaibhav Sooryavanshi goes for the review with 3 seconds remaining…and gets it right 👏DRS done right as the set Aryan Juyal (46) is dismissed ✅The celebrations say it all 🙌#DuleepTrophy pic.twitter.com/IwBQbr8hJQ"

On Day 2 Sooryavanshi opened the batting alongside Abhimanyu Easwaran and the pair put together a half-century partnership described in coverage as stunning. Sooryavanshi reached his fifty off 42 balls, scoring at a rate the report called "whopping," and played an aggressive innings that the article said applied significant pressure on the opposition.

The episode in Bengaluru also confirmed a record cited in the coverage: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi became the youngest skipper to lead a Duleep Trophy team, captaining East Zone in 2026.