Vaibhav Sooryavanshi becomes youngest Duleep Trophy half-centurion

Fifteen-year-old batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi etched his name into cricket history on August 30, 2026, becoming the youngest player to score a half-century in the Duleep Trophy. The left-handed opener achieved the milestone for East Zone during their semifinal against Central Zone at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground 1 in Bengaluru, reaching his fifty off just 42 balls with a six. Sooryavanshi surpassed a 57-year-old record previously held by the late Laxman Singh, who scored a Duleep Trophy half-century at 16 years and 23 days in 1969. At 15 years and 175 days, Sooryavanshi now stands as the youngest to achieve the feat in the prestigious domestic tournament. His aggressive knock of 92 runs off 81 balls, featuring seven fours and seven sixes, was instrumental in East Zone's strong start after Central Zone had posted 266 in their first innings. The teenager's performance was particularly notable given his recent promotion to a leadership role. East Zone captain Ishan Kishan was forced to leave the field on Day 1 after being hit on the wrist, bringing Sooryavanshi, the team's vice-captain, into the captaincy for nearly an hour.