The decision to appoint 15-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as East Zone’s vice-captain for the 2026-27 Duleep Trophy raised plenty of eyebrows, especially with several experienced domestic and international cricketers available in the squad. However, an East Zone selection committee member has now explained that the move is part of a long-term leadership plan aimed at preparing the teenager for bigger responsibilities in Indian cricket.

When the East Zone squad was announced, India wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan was named captain, a decision that was widely expected given his leadership experience at both domestic and international levels.

However, the appointment of Sooryavanshi as vice-captain sparked debate. The Bihar prodigy was preferred despite the presence of experienced campaigners such as Abhimanyu Easwaran, who has played more than 100 first-class matches and captained Bengal and India A. Senior India pacers Mohammed Shami and Mukesh Kumar are also part of the squad, making the selectors’ decision even more intriguing.

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Explaining the rationale behind the move, Manish Vardhan, Jharkhand’s representative on the East Zone selection committee, said the focus was not on the immediate future but on helping Sooryavanshi develop as a leader. “We are not thinking about the present alone,” Vardhan told Cricinfo.

He added that the vice-captaincy would provide the youngster with a valuable opportunity to work closely with Kishan, observe how a captain operates, and gain first-hand experience of team management.

🔴 WHY WAS VAIBHAV MADE VICE-CAPTAIN? – SELECTORS REVEAL REASON🤯

🎙️: Selector P. Mullick said Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was made East Zone’s vice-captain to help him grow as a leader. He believes giving young players responsibility helps them mature, and the selectors see this as an… pic.twitter.com/e7BJTEntnn

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“A vice-captain gets to observe the captain closely and understand how a team is run. We wanted Vaibhav to be more involved with the group because we think it will help him as he develops. He’s an extremely talented cricketer and is maturing steadily. Giving him this responsibility is another part of that process.”

Vardhan also dismissed the notion that Sooryavanshi would automatically take over as captain if Kishan were unavailable during the tournament. He clarified that the selectors had not discussed such a possibility and suggested that, if required, an experienced player would most likely lead the side while the youngster continued to learn in his current role.

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Reiterating the committee’s vision, Vardhan stressed that the vice-captaincy was never about seniority or status. Instead, it was designed to accelerate Sooryavanshi’s growth by exposing one of India’s brightest young talents to leadership responsibilities at an early stage of his career. “The vice-captain’s role isn’t about status. It’s about what a young player can learn while working alongside the captain,” Vardhan concluded.