Vaibhav Sooryavanshi named vice-captain as East Zone unveiled the Duleep Trophy team

Teenage prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been entrusted with a big responsibility after being named the East Zone vice-captain for the 2026-27 Duleep Trophy. The 15-year-old will serve as a stand-in for Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan in a team that also boasts veteran fast bowler Mohammed Shami.

Sooryavanshi’s appointment stands out as the biggest takeaway from the team’s announcement, reflecting the selectors’ confidence in one of India’s fastest-rising batting talents. The Bihar youngster has enjoyed a remarkable rise over the past year, earning plaudits for his fearless approach and explosive hitting despite his age. He was too appointed as vice-captain for Bihar during the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy season for the first two rounds.

The left-handed opener recently broke into the Indian senior team and made his T20I debut against England in Manchester earlier this month. He followed that up with a memorable knock of 81 off 49 balls against Zimbabwe in Harare. The news of his appointment as vice-captain of the Eastern Zone comes on the same day he made a a big jump of 230 places in the latest ICC T20I rankings.

For captain Ishan Kishan, the Duleep Trophy represents an opportunity to build on his return to the national set-up. After being a part of India’s T20 World Cup winning team earlier this year, the wicketkeeper will be keen to put in consistent performances in domestic cricket as he looks to cement his place across formats.

Experienced pacer Mohammed Shami is also the main representative of the East Zone team. The Bengal quick has not represented India since the Champions Trophy in March and was overlooked in the recently announced Test squad for the Sri Lanka series. A strong performance in the Duleep Trophy could help the seasoned swimmer remind the selectors of his worth in the longer format.

Shami will spearhead a pace attack that also includes Bengal teammates Mukesh Kumar and Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal, giving East Zone a formidable fast bowling unit.

The batting department has another household name in Abhimanyu Easwaran. The Bengal opener has consistently piled up runs in domestic cricket and remains on the fringes of the Indian Test team. His experience is expected to provide stability along with Sooryavanshi’s attacking flair at the top of the order.

The East Zone also included a strong contingent from Jharkhand, with Kumar Kushagra, Anukul Roy, Virat Singh and Shikhar Mohan earning places in the team. Odisha’s Subhranshu Senapati and Assam batsmen Denish Das further strengthen the middle order.

East Zone Team for Duleep Trophy 2026

Abhimanyu Easwaran (CAB), Sudip Kumar Gharami (CAB), Shahbaz Ahmed (CAB), Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal (CAB), Mohammed Shami (CAB), Mukesh Kumar (CAB), Ishan Kishan (C, JSCA), Kumar Kushagra (JSCA), Shikhar Anukulyh (JSCA), Vica (JSCA), Subhranshu Senapati (OCA), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (VC, BCA), Danish Das (ACA). and Abhijit Sarkar (TCA).

Standby modes: Ayush Loharuka (BCA), Sridam Paul (TCA), Sambit S Baral (OCA), Sharandeep Singh (JSCA) and Swastik Samal (OCA).

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Published on:

29 Jul 2026 19:45 IST