Vaibhav Sooryavanshi becomes youngest to score half-century in Duleep Trophy, falls eight short of breaking Sachin Tendulkar's record

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi became the youngest player in Duleep Trophy history to score a half-century on August 30, 2026, during the 1st Semi-Final between Central Zone and East Zone in Bengaluru. He achieved the milestone at the age of 15 years and 175 days, reaching his fifty off just 42 deliveries and completing it with a six.

Sooryavanshi surpassed the previous record for the youngest Duleep Trophy half-century, which had been held by Laxman Singh at 16 years and 23 days since 1969. Piyush Chawla holds the third position on that list, having scored a fifty at 16 years and 307 days in 2025.

The innings also placed Sooryavanshi within striking distance of another historic mark. Sachin Tendulkar holds the record for the youngest century-scorer in Duleep Trophy history, and Sooryavanshi fell eight runs short of breaking it when the semi-final was still in progress.

Sooryavanshi was named vice-captain of East Zone for the Duleep Trophy 2026 campaign. East Zone captain Ishan Kishan suffered a wrist injury on Day 1 of the semi-final against Central Zone, which brought Sooryavanshi into the leadership role for the remainder of the match.

Central Zone entered the semi-final as defending champions, having won the Duleep Trophy in the previous season. The ongoing match in Bengaluru therefore carries added weight, with Sooryavanshi now leading East Zone's challenge against the title-holders.

The semi-final innings is the latest in a series of landmark performances for Sooryavanshi in 2026. In June 2026, he became the youngest-ever Indian Test debutant at 15 years and 96 days during the tour of England, a milestone that announced him on the international stage.

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Earlier in the year, Sooryavanshi won the Orange Cap in IPL 2026 at the age of 15, becoming the youngest cricketer to claim that award in the tournament's history. The feat underlined his ability to perform at the highest level of franchise cricket despite his age.

His Duleep Trophy half-century record now sits alongside those achievements as part of a remarkable calendar year for the teenager. With the semi-final against Central Zone still ongoing in Bengaluru, Sooryavanshi has the opportunity to add further to his growing list of historic firsts.