Harsha Bhogle fumes over Vaibhav Sooryavanshi being appointed vice-captain; raises questions by showing red-ball cricket statistics
15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has also found a place in the East Zone team for the Duleep Trophy. The command of the team has been handed over to Ishan Kishan, while the biggest surprise came in the form of Vaibhav Suryavanshi being appointed as the vice-captain. Renowned cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle has raised questions over this decision.
East Zone has announced its 15-member squad for the Duleep Trophy 2026-27 starting from August 23. Wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan has been named the captain of the team, while selectors have made a big gamble by handing over the vice-captaincy to Bihar’s young batsman Vaibhav Suryavanshi.
Representatives from six state associations of the East Zone attended the selection committee meeting held at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. A great blend of experienced and young players was seen in the team, where the dominance of players from Bengal and Jharkhand is clearly visible. For Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who has already made a name for himself in Indian cricket at just 15 years of age, this is his biggest leadership responsibility yet.
In recent months, he has grabbed a lot of headlines with his brilliant performances in the IPL (Indian Premier League) and limited-overs cricket. As a reward for this performance, he has been appointed as the vice-captain of the East Zone. Although his experience in red-ball cricket is limited, this is the reason why mixed reactions are being seen across the cricket world regarding this decision.
What did Harsha say about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi?
Famous cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle expressed surprise over this decision on social media. He wrote, ‘I am unable to understand what the thinking is behind making Vaibhav Sooryavanshi the vice-captain of a senior red ball team. He has played 12 innings and scored 207 runs at an average of 17.25. His talent is extraordinary, but there is still a long learning curve left in red ball cricket and he is at the starting step of it.
Following this statement by Harsha Bhogle, a debate has sparked on social media. Some people are supporting the selectors’ decision, while many believe that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi should gain more experience in first-class cricket before being given leadership responsibility.
Experienced fast bowlers Mohammed Shami and Mukesh Kumar are also included in the East Zone team. This tournament is considered very crucial for Shami as he has been out of the Indian Test team for a long time. If he performs impressively in the Duleep Trophy, his claim for a comeback to the national team could get stronger. Mukesh Kumar will also have a golden opportunity to attract the selectors’ attention. Meanwhile, players like Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shahbaz Ahmed, Sudip Kumar Gharami, Anukul Roy, and Kumar Kushagra will add strength to the team.
East Zone Squad: Ishan Kishan (Captain), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Vice-Captain), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sudip Kumar Gharami, Shahbaz Ahmed, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal, Mohammed Shami, Mukesh Kumar, Kumar Kushagra, Shikhar Mohan, Anukul Roy, Virat Singh, Subhranshu Senapati, Denish Das, and Abhijeet Sarkar.
You can also read:
â– Ishan Kishan’s Inspiring Cricket Journey: Early Life Struggles & Strong Comeback 💪
â– Ajinkya Rahane’s Historic Triumph in Border-Gavaskar Trophy!