Vaibhav Sooryavanshi may have gained notoriety by hitting the ball over the boundary, but during the Duleep Trophy, the young batsman showed that there is more to his game by switching to bowling.
The 15-year-old made an unexpected impact with the ball when he took two wickets for East Zone in four deliveries. He has already drawn attention with his blistering batting in the IPL and in his early performances for India in T20Is.
Known for his thunderous batting, Sooryavanshi finished his session by dismissing Imliwati Lemtur and Kishan Lyngdoh in the same over. Lemtur edged a front-footed defence through to Ishan Kishan behind the stumps after Lyngdoh was caught at mid-wicket while trying to heave through the on side. After bowling three overs, he gave up 11 runs while taking two wickets.
Sooryavanshi’s participation in the Duleep Trophy marks the beginning of a new season as the young player transitions from the quick-paced demands of Twenty20 cricket to the longer format. In addition, he was appointed vice-captain of East Zone, a move that caused some people to question his appointment, considering his age and lack of first-class experience. Earlier in the game, he was unable to have much of an impact with the bat, but his bowling soon made up for it.
By scoring 467 in their opening innings, the East Zone had already solidified dominance. In contrast, the North East Zone was fired for 111 in response. had reached 79 for seven in their second innings at the time of writing, putting them in a risky situation as the East Zone was vying for a decisive victory.
The teenager’s ability to attack bowling assaults has already garnered media attention, but his time in the Duleep Trophy demonstrated that he can also contribute with the ball when needed. It’s unclear if bowling will become a regular part of his game, but taking two wickets in an over was undoubtedly a fun reminder that Sooryavanshi’s cricket may be more than just his spectacular strokeplay.
