Sooryavanshi takes over as East Zone captain after Kishan's injury

Fifteen-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi stepped in as stand-in captain for East Zone during its Duleep Trophy semifinal against Central Zone on Sunday, August 30, 2026, after regular captain Ishan Kishan was forced off the field with a finger injury. The match is being held at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.

Kishan, who was standing up to the stumps during the 19th over, was struck on his left hand. Physios attended to the Jharkhand player before he left the field, with Kumar Kushagra taking over wicketkeeping duties. Sooryavanshi, already named the vice-captain of the side, assumed the captaincy. This marks the first time the teenager has led a side in a professional match.

The teenager's elevation to captaincy comes on the back of a notable all-round performance in East Zone's dominant quarterfinal victory over North East Zone, which concluded on August 25. In that match, Sooryavanshi scored 8 runs before being dismissed. However, he made a significant impact with his left-arm spin, taking two wickets for 11 runs in three overs. His double strike reduced North East Zone from 75 for 5 to 79 for 7 in their second innings, helping East Zone secure an innings-and-210-run...