Bengaluru: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi may have struggled with the bat on his Duleep Trophy debut, but the 15-year-old sensation quickly made an impact with the ball for East Zone against North East Zone.
Sooryavanshi picked up two wickets in just four deliveries during the second innings, showcasing his left-arm orthodox spin and adding another dimension to his growing reputation. His victims were Kishan Lyngdoh and Imliwati Lemtur, with both dismissals coming in the same over.
The youngster's bowling contribution came after a disappointing outing with the bat. Opening the innings, Sooryavanshi scored only eight runs from six deliveries, hitting two boundaries before being caught in the second over.
However, he made a quick turnaround when given the ball. His first wicket came when Lyngdoh advanced down the track and attempted a big shot but failed to connect properly, resulting in a catch. Three balls later, Sooryavanshi struck again, with Lemtur edging the delivery through to wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan.
The two wickets added to an impressive all-round contribution in the match. Sooryavanshi also took two catches as East Zone continued to dominate the quarter-final. North East Zone had been bowled out for just 111 in their first innings after East Zone posted 467, built around centuries from Sudip Kumar Gharami and Shahbaz Ahmed.
The performance is particularly noteworthy because Sooryavanshi is primarily known for his aggressive batting. He has already attracted enormous attention through his exploits in T20 cricket, including the IPL, and has also made his India T20I debut.
His selection as East Zone's vice-captain for the Duleep Trophy at just 15 had already placed him firmly in the spotlight. While his red-ball batting remains a work in progress, his ability to contribute with the ball provides another interesting option for his team.
For Sooryavanshi, the Duleep Trophy is an important opportunity to gain experience in first-class cricket. His two-wicket burst showed that even when the bat fails, he can influence a game in other ways.
Whether bowling becomes a regular part of his cricket remains to be seen, but his latest performance has certainly given fans another reason to watch his rapid development.
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