Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's Tactical Awareness Plots South Zone's Wickets As East Star With Ball

By Pramit Meher

**Duleep Trophy Semifinal: Teen Sensation Sooryavanshi's Match-Fipping IQ Steers East Zone** Bengaluru, Day 2 — East Zone bowled and batted their way into what looks like a Duleep Trophy final, and a 15-year-old's cricketing brain was central to it all. After posting a massive 708 in the first Inn — powered by Ishan Kishan's monster 270, plus Kumar Kushagra's ton (101), Shikhar Mohan's 85 and Easwaran's 72 — East struck hard in the first session. Vice-captain Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the teenage sensation, was the mastermind behind two key wickets. First up, Ricky Bhui was given not-out offside, but Sooryavanshi pushed captain Ishan for a review. Super-slow replay showed a clear edge — Kushagra took a sharp catch behind, and Bhui walked. BCCI Domestic even highlighted the call on social media. Then, before tea, Sooryavanshi (standing in as captain while Ishan stepped off briefly) brought in Mohammed Shami for a quick burst. The veteran rewarded him instantly — Ravichandran, previous Ranji's top run-scorer, nicked one off a drive outside off-stump. Again, Kushagra's review and the ultra-edge sealed the big wicket. South Zone tumbled to 174/4. From a sports-medicine lens, it's worth noting: a 15-year-old handling this much on-field decision-making pressure is remarkable — and a reminder of why workload management for young bowlers matters so much. **Key Stats:** Ishan Kishan 270 | Kushagra 101 | Sooryavanshi's two review-winning dismissals (Bhui, Ravichandran) *Source: IANS* Source: Cricketnmore