Ishan Kishan and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi In Duleep Trophy (Source: X)
At present all cricket fans must be thinking, "Is there anything young 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi can't do?"
This time the young player from Bihar suprised his fans and his zonal captain, Ishan Kishan, as he produced a crucial spell with the ball for East Zone in the Duleep Trophy 2026-27 quarter-final.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who is mainly known for his fearless batting, turned into an unlikely match-winner with his left-arm spin against North East Zone at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground 2 in Bengaluru.
The youngster picked up two wickets in just three overs, finishing with figures of 2/11. His spell came at an important stage of the match and helped East Zone to win the match by an innings and 210 runs.
Interestingly, East Zone captain Ishan Kishan was not completely convinced about handing the ball to the teenager. However, Ishan Kishan's gamble worked perfectly as Sooryavanshi delivered two quick wickets.
Why Did Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Call Himself A 'Wicket Taker'?
It is important to mention that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi revealed after the match that he genuinely enjoys bowling and considers himself a player who can take wickets whenever he gets an opportunity.
Speaking in a video shared by BCCI Domestic, the youngster explained that Ishan Kishan believed giving him the ball could be a risk because he did not know much about Sooryavanshi's bowling ability.
The teenager, however, backed himself and focused on bowling in the right areas.
Sooryavanshi Opens Up On Ishan Kishan's Bowling Gamble
Sooryavanshi also revealed that he knew he would probably get only two or three overs, regardless of how many wickets he could take.
Instead of worrying about the limited opportunity, he concentrated on maintaining his line and length.
Also Read: Why Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Was Not Picked In India’s U19 Squad For Australia Series?
“If you ask any batter, he enjoys bowling. Or if you ask a bowler, he enjoys batting. The opponents weren't losing wickets, so I was asked to bowl 2-3 overs. Ishan bhaiya thought that he was taking a risk in giving me the ball. But he didn't know that I'm a wicket taker,” Sooryavanshi said in a video shared by BCCI Domestic.
"I always knew that even if I take five wickets, I will only get three overs to bowl. So I tried to bowl as well as I could. I was just trying to repeatedly land the ball in one area. It's a lot of fun. I didn't do well with the bat in the last match. So it's a lot of fun to contribute to the team's bowling. And of course, if a batter takes a wicket, he never enjoys it more than that. So it's a lot of fun," he added.
Watch The Video Here:
How Did Sooryavanshi Produce A Double Strike With His Left-Arm Spin?
North East Zone were already under pressure after being bowled out for only 111 in their first innings and being forced to follow on. However, they had managed to slow down East Zone's progress in the second innings.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was brought into the attack by Ishan Kishan and he immediately made an impact.
His first wicket came when Kishan Lyngdoh tried to attack the spinner but failed to control his shot.Three balls later, Sooryavanshi struck again and dismissed Imliwati Lemtur.
The two wickets came in the 28th over and reduced North East Zone from 75/5 to 79/7. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi ended his spell with 2/11 from three overs, registering his best bowling figures in first-class (FC) cricket.
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