At just 15, Vaibhav Suryavanshi made history by captaining East Zone in the 2026 Duleep Trophy semifinal against Central Zone in Bengaluru. Initially named vice‑captain, he stepped up after Ishan Kishan was forced off with a wrist injury.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi made history at just 15 years old after taking charge of the East Zone squad in the 2026 Duleep Trophy semifinal clash against Central Zone in Bengaluru.
The young Indian opener was initially named vice‑captain of the East Zone squad, but with regular skipper Ishan Kishan sidelined by injury, the 15‑year‑old stepped up to lead the team as captain.
The incident occurred in the 19th over of Central Zone’s first innings when Kishan sustained a hard hit on his right wrist during wicketkeeping duties. He received medical treatment on the field before being forced to walk off the field for further medical assessment.
Vaibhav makes history after being made captain
Vaibhav made history by captaining the East Zone in the Duleep Trophy semifinals at just 15 years old after captain Kishan had to leave the field. Interestingly, the flamboyant opener was handed captaincy responsibilities in his second-only Duleep Trophy match. Vaibhav made his first-class debut in 2024.
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Vaibhav was handed the opportunity to manage a side featuring domestic and international stalwarts such as Mukesh Kumar, Abhimanyu Easwaran and Mohammed Shami.
More from FirstcricketFor a 15-year-old, receiving such an opportunity stands out. Vaibhav has been impressive in the limited-over formats, such as T20 and the 50-over circuit. He was also fast-tracked to make his senior men’s debut against England in T20 international cricket, where India suffered a series defeat.
How did Vaibhav pefrorm in his first Duleep Trophy outing?
In Vaibhav’s previous outing in the 2026 Duleep Trophy, he failed to impress with the bat, scoring just eight runs in six deliveries at a strike rate of 133.33. He struck two rapid boundaries before being dismissed by Bishworjit Konthoujam.
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Vaibhav, however, impressed with his part-time bowling skills, picking up two crucial wickets in his three-over spell. He scalped the wickets of Kishan Lyngdoh and Imliwati Lemtur while conceding just 11 runs.
East Zone won the match by an innings and 210 runs to advance to the Duleep Trophy semifinals.