Bengaluru: Rising batting sensation and East Zone vice-captain Vaibhav Sooryavanshi endured a brief outing in his much-anticipated red-ball audition, falling for just eight runs off six deliveries on the opening day of the Duleep Trophy 2026 quarter-final against North East Zone at the BCCI Centre of Excellence on Sunday.
After North East Zone won the toss and elected to bowl first on a responsive surface, Sooryavanshi walked out to open the innings alongside experienced campaigner Abhimanyu Easwaran. Facing Manipur’s medium-pacer Bishworjit Konthoujam in the second over, the 15-year-old left-hander displayed his trademark aggressive intent early, dispatching two consecutive boundaries—tucking the first through mid-wicket before punching a fuller delivery crisply through the covers.
However, Konthoujam swiftly adjusted his line and length. Delivering a sharp, good-length ball just outside off-stump, he cramped the young batter for room on the final ball of the over. Attempting an aerial punch through the point region, Sooryavanshi mistimed his stroke and was caught by Joseph Lalthankhuma in the gully cordon, ending his innings on eight.
East Zone suffered a double blow early in the session when Easwaran was also dismissed for 15 after being trapped leg-before by Jotin Pheiroijam in the sixth over, reducing the side to 25/2.
Sooryavanshi entered the fixture with significant attention following a rapid rise in white-ball cricket, where he earned senior national caps in T20Is and was entrusted with the vice-captaincy of an East Zone lineup featuring Ishan Kishan and Mohammed Shami. The quarter-final marked a critical step in testing his technique and temperament in multi-day first-class cricket.
The winner of the ongoing quarter-final will advance to meet defending finalists Central Zone in the first semi-final scheduled to begin on August 30 at the same venue.