12000 Fans, 44-Run Fiery Knock: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Fever Hits Duleep Trophy Final
By Suresh
Namaste, dear cricket lovers. Let me share something that moved me deeply today — a reminder of why we fall in love with this beautiful game. **The Boy Who Conducted the Stadium Like a Raga** What a sight at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Nearly 12,000 fans flooded the free lower decks (blocks C, D, E) opened by the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association for the Duleep Trophy final — South Zone vs East Zone. It has been years since a domestic crowd surged like this; the last true frenzy belonged to Kohli's Ranji return in Jan 2025, and before that... Sachin's final Test in 2013. All eyes on one boy: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the 15-year-old left-hand bat who lit up IPL 2026 and now carries the weight of everyone's hopes. Buttler sees T20 records; Srikkanth sees new life for Test cricket. Ishan Kishan, his East Zone skipper, simply calls him "very smart for a boy his age." **His 93-Minute Alap** In the first session, Siraj and MD Nideesh tested him with early movers. The young lad weaved and ducked — patient, composed. Then he found his rhythm. - 11 off 14 → then a blistering over against Siraj (a six and two fours) - Finished the stand at **34 off 24 balls** - His 93-minute knock ended when he pulled CV Milind for a deep fielder — Tanay Thyagarajan The crowd never left. They chanted his name till the Chennai sun faded, and he graciously spent minutes among them. **The Heart of the Matter** "He is down to earth. He doesn't think much about all this — only his cricket. Nice to have him in the dressing room," said teammate Shikhar Mohan. Perhaps that is his greatest gift: the calm of a true performer. In a world hungry for noise, this boy plays like music. The Vaibhav era has just begun. 🎶 Source: NDTV Sports
