Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made history by breaking the Duleep Trophy all-time record in the semi-finals
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Screengrab) Vaibhav Sooryavanshi added another record to his rapidly growing list of achievements by becoming the youngest batsman in Duleep Trophy history to score a half-century.The 15-year-old achieved success during the Duleep Trophy 2026 East Zone semi-final against Central Zone in Bengaluru, reaching his fifty in just 42 balls with a six.Sooryavanshi eventually finished with an impressive 92 off 81 balls, falling just eight runs short of a century. His knock involved an aggressive stroke play and came at a crucial stage for East Zone.At 15 years and 175 days, Sooryavanshi broke the record that had stood for 57 years. The previous youngest batsman to reach a Duleep Trophy fifty was Laxman Singh, who was 16 years and 23 days old when he achieved it in 1969.He has now moved ahead of Laxman Singh and Piyush Chawla, who was 16 years and 307 days old when he made his Duleep Trophy fifty in 2025.
Youngest to score a Duleep Trophy fifty
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: 15 years 175 days
- Laxman Singh (1969): 16 years 23 days
- Piyush Chawla (2005): 16 years 307 days
Sooryavanshi’s batting milestone came after he found himself in an unusual leadership role earlier in the match.On Day 1, East Zone captain Ishan Kishan was forced off the field during the morning session after being hit on the right wrist. Sooryavanshi stepped in as stand-in captain for about an hour either side of lunch before Kishan returned to take command.During his short tenure as captain, Sooryavanshi also made an important hit with DRS.In the 40th over, central zone opener and wicketkeeper Aryan Juyal was on 46 when he poked a delivery from Mukesh Kumar outside off. East Zone appealed for the ejection, but the on-field umpire overruled it.Sooryavanshi supported his judgment and moved for a review. UltraEdge showed a little edge as the ball went past the bat to confirm the edge and give East Zone a crucial wicket.
The central zone dropped out for 266
The East Zone earlier got off to a great start after Kishan won the toss and opted to field.Mukesh Kumar and Abhijit Sarkar took three wickets apiece while Mohammed Shami and off-spinner Md Kounain Quraishi claimed two each as Central Zone were bowled out for 266 in 80.1 overs.Rinku Singh top-scored with 60 off 88 balls, while Juyal contributed 46. Rinku also put on a 55-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Harsh Dubey, who scored 27, after Central Zone slumped to 125/5.Quraishi broke that stand by catching Dubey lbw in the 60th over, triggering another collapse.Saransh Jain made 13 and Aryan Pandey scored 22 while Yash Thakur provided the late impetus with a quick 30 off 26 balls.Central Zone was eventually bowled out for 266, giving East Zone the platform to take control of the semi-final.For Sooryavanshi, the semi-final was already memorable. On the opening day, he briefly took over as the captain of the East Zone after Ishan Kishan left the field and produced another record-breaking performance a day later. Sooryavanshi brought up his half-century in just 42 balls before going on to score 92 off 81 deliveries.The only disappointment was that the teenage star could not complete another century, falling just eight runs short of three figures.
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