Teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been named vice-captain of the East Zone team for the upcoming Duleep Trophy, adding another milestone to his rapid rise in Indian cricket.
He will serve as deputy to captain Ishan Kishan in a squad that also includes senior India pacer Mohammed Shami and experienced batter Abhimanyu Easwaran.
The appointment marks Sooryavanshi's first leadership role at the senior zonal level and comes days after the 15-year-old enjoyed a dream start to his international career. The Duleep Trophy, India's premier inter-zonal first-class tournament, is scheduled to begin on August 23.
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Sooryavanshi was recently named Player of the Series after scoring 151 runs at an average of 50.33 in India's 3-0 T20I series sweep of Zimbabwe in Harare. His performances also propelled him 230 places to a career-best 48th in the latest ICC Men's T20I batting rankings with 536 rating points.
He will now play under Ishan Kishan, who continues to top the ICC T20I batting rankings after reaching a career-best 916 rating points during the Zimbabwe series. Kishan finished the series with 910 points, remaining comfortably ahead of second-placed Sahibzada Farhan (848).
His career-best rating of 916 is the third-highest ever achieved by a T20I batter, behind Abhishek Sharma (931) and England's Dawid Malan (919), and ahead of Suryakumar Yadav (912) and Virat Kohli (909).
Sooryavanshi's elevation to the East Zone leadership group underlines the confidence selectors have placed in one of India's brightest young talents as he prepares for his first senior zonal assignment alongside several established domestic and international cricketers.
