Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smashes 92, becomes youngest batter to hit Duleep Trophy fifty

Bengaluru: In 118 minutes and 81 balls, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi offered a glimpse of the raw talent that has made him one of Indian cricket’s most sought-after prospects. The southpaw backs his big-hitting ability irrespective of the format and his fearless approach was on full display as the East Zone opener smashed 92 (7×4, 7×6) against Central Zone on Day 2 of their Duleep Trophy semifinal at the BCCI Centre of Excellence here on Monday.

At 15 years and 157 days, Sooryavanshi became the youngest player to score a 50 in the tournament, breaking Central Zone’s Laxman Singh’s record of 16 years and 23 days, set way back in Jan 1969.

The innings was more than just a record. Since his Ranji Trophy debut in 2024, the teenager had managed 215 runs from nine first-class matches. While he has built strong credentials in white-ball cricket, the longer format remains a stern test. Sooryavanshi was in no mood to let a red-ball challenge pass without making a statement.

The first session was all about his attacking display. After getting off the mark with a risky single, the left-hander struck his first boundary with a stylish square drive. That was merely an appetiser, as he repeatedly looked to score in the ‘V’ against the pacers, including Yash Thakur, whom he deposited over the bowler’s head for his first six. His 18 singles were as much a sign of maturity as his seven sixes were of his power. His domination helped East Zone race to 64 in the first 10 overs. On 40, Sooryavanshi was handed a reprieve when Yash Rathod dropped a straightforward catch off Saransh Jain. The batter made the most of it, bringing up his half-century off 42 balls with a six over long-on.

However, he was left distraught when another attempt at a maximum landed in Arshad Khan’s hands at deep mid-wicket off Harsh Dubey, leaving him eight runs short of his maiden first-class hundred. Along with Abhimanyu Easwaran’s 69, Sooryavanshi’s 92 formed the backbone of a 161-run opening stand that helped East Zone reach 266, exactly matching Central Zone’s first-innings total. Central were 45/3 at stumps.

Tilak hits patient ton

In the longer format, patience and discipline are traditional routes to building an innings. The beauty lies in embracing that challenge when the situation demands it.South Zone found themselves in that situation. At 80/5, they were staring at the prospect of conceding a first-innings lead to North Zone, who had posted 195. What followed over the next 271 minutes was an exhibition of restraint and disciplined batsmanship as Tilak Varma (106 batting, 225b, 7×4) and Shreyas Gopal (87, 169b, 11×4) took centre stage with a 175-run sixth-wicket partnership.

Their stand turned the tide, helping South secure a first-innings lead. They were 285/9 at stumps, 90 ahead.

Brief scores: Central Zone 266 & 45/3 (M Kumar 2-14) vs East Zone 266 all out ( V Sooryavanshi 92, A Easwaran 69; H Dubey 4-66); North Zone 195 vs South Zone 285/9 in 94 overs (o/n: 40/2) (Ti Varma 106*, S Gopal 87; G Brar 4-70).

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