Vaibhav Sooryavanshi vice-captain of East Zone: Head coach explains reason behind handing vice captaincy to 15-year-old in Duleep Trophy

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi vice-captain of East Zone: Head coach explains reason behind handing vice captaincy to 15-year-old in Duleep Trophy originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi named East Zone vice-captain; Ishan Kishan remains captain.

Selector defends decision, cites maturity, leadership potential of teen.

Duleep Trophy begins August 23, East Zone faces North Zone first.

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Selectors defend Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's surprise vice-captaincy call

East Zone's decision to hand the vice-captaincy to 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has stirred controversy, with plenty of critics questioning whether placing this level of responsibility on such a young player was a wise move by the selection panel.

The selection meeting took place at Eden Gardens on Wednesday, chaired by CAB secretary Bablu Kolay. Present at the meeting were selectors Dibyendu Chakraborty representing CAB, Manish Wardhan from JSCA, Alok Saha of TCA, Anant Prakash from BCA, alongside Pravanjan Mullick representing OCA, while Sumit Ranjan Das of ACA participated remotely.

Sooryavanshi has rapidly established himself as one of cricket's most talked-about young talents, as he has been dominating headlines through a standout IPL campaign where he topped the batting charts, and further cemented his reputation by being named Player of the Series during India's recent tour of Zimbabwe.

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However, Pravanjan Mullick, a former Odisha Ranji player, believes the teenager has shown continuous growth and maturity, and entrusting him with additional responsibility is viewed as a natural next step in that development.

"He has not been made the captain. He has only been made the vice-captain," he told Cricbuzz.

"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."

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Mullick emphasised that the selection panel places real value in empowering younger players with leadership roles early, and added that there's genuine hope within the committee that Sooryavanshi could eventually captain the Indian team at some point down the line, a possibility that shaped their thinking behind this decision.

"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," he added.

"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. 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."

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No prior discussion with Sooryavanshi, before vice-captaincy decision

Asked whether Sooryavanshi himself had been consulted before the appointment was finalised, Mullick confirmed there had been no such conversation.

"No, none at all. It was a collective decision taken by all the selectors from the eastern states," he said. "He has the ability to handle responsibility and is capable of leading the team when required."

Mullick also suggested that a strong Duleep Trophy showing could put Sooryavanshi firmly on the radar of national selectors, potentially opening a path to Test cricket sooner than expected.

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"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."

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When confronted with the wave of criticism the decision has drawn across media and social platforms, Mullick maintained that while everyone was entitled to their own opinion, the selection committee stood firmly behind their collective judgment, insisting the choice was made with the team's best interests in mind.

"With due respect to everyone expressing their views, they are entitled to their opinions," he said.

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"Everyone has a right to think differently, and we cannot change that. But we did what we believed was best for the team. It was a collective decision."

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Bold move from East Zone selectors, but timing matters

Handing a 16-year-old the vice-captaincy of a senior state side is unusual, but it isn't reckless once you look closely. Ishan Kishan still calls the shots, and Sooryavanshi has already worn a leadership armband at Under-19 level and for Bihar, so this isn't entirely uncharted territory for him.

Cricket boards often talk about grooming young talent, and this is one of those rare instances where the intent seems to match the action. That said, not consulting the player beforehand feels like an oversight.

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A conversation about expectations and pressure would have gone a long way, especially given how young he still is. The scrutiny that comes with an India cap is already immense; adding leadership duties on top could either sharpen his game or distract from it.

The selectors are betting on the former, and given his track record so far, that bet doesn't look unreasonable, but it will need careful handling in the dressing room to actually pay off.

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