Duleep Trophy 2026: Why was Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made East Zone vice-captain? Selector explains logic

There was a surprise among the cricket fraternity when Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was named the vice captain in the East Zone squad for the upcoming Duleep Trophy 2026. However, the East Zone selector, Pravanjan Mullick, has explained the rationale and thought process behind giving the responsibility to the 15-year-old Sooryavanshi.

Mullick has opened up that the vice-captaincy does not make Sooryavanshi a direct leader of the side, and the leadership will largely rest within the hands of Ishan Kishan, the captain. However, making him a vice-captain will give him a taste of leadership and bring maturity into his game as he grows into the game as an international cricketer.

“He has not been made the captain. He has only been made the vice-captain. The captain is Ishan Kishan. Besides, Ishan is a wicketkeeper, so he will be actively involved throughout the day. It is not as though Vaibhav will be captaining the team all day. As he grows, he is maturing day by day. Giving him more responsibility will help him mature even further,” Mullick told Cricbuzz.

“This is a great opportunity for him to take on the responsibility of being vice-captain in the Duleep Trophy. He wants to do well for the country, and we believe giving young players responsibility is important. Who knows? We are keeping our fingers crossed that one day he could even become India's captain. That is the thought behind giving him the vice-captaincy,” Mullick added.

Mullick further said that the Samastipur-born cricketer has been in a great run of form, starting with winning the Orange Cap for the Rajasthan Royals in the recent Indian Premier League season and making his international debut about a month thereafter.

“He has been doing very well for the country and also had an excellent IPL season with Rajasthan Royals. He is also the vice-captain of Bihar in first-class cricket,” he said.

According to Mullick, performing well in the Duleep Trophy can open doors for Sooryavanshi's place in the Test team as well. Since the national selectors will be keeping an eye on Sooryavanshi and all others taking part in the premier red-ball tournament, scoring runs in the multi-day format can help them assess the youngster's endurance to stand ground at the highest level of international cricket.

“More importantly, this is a great opportunity for him to score runs. If he performs well in the Duleep Trophy, the national selectors will certainly be watching him. You never know, he could be in contention for the Indian Test team sooner rather than later," Mullick added.