East Zone captain Ishan Kishan and vice-captain Vaibhav Sooryavanshi shared a hilarious exchange while looking back at their viral DRS moments from the Duleep Trophy 2026 final against South Zone. The final in Chennai ended in a draw, but East Zone were crowned champions after securing a crucial first-innings lead. While several performances stood out during the match, 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi also grabbed attention with his confidence on the field, particularly when it came to DRS calls.
One of the most talked-about moments came when Sooryavanshi confidently urged Kishan to review a decision. However, speaking after the game, Kishan jokingly suggested that the youngster had received all the credit despite the captain already considering the review himself.
“What happened? What are you talking about? Tell me too. Ask me questions too. I want to know what he was answering. He’s taken all the credit in the review everywhere. Although I was going to take the review, he came up and said it so confidently that I will just walk over to you, and then the internet will be like: Vaibhav! My goodness! Vaibhav is the one! So he played that role very well. I’m very happy,” Ishan Kishan said in a video released by BCCI Domestic.
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Sooryavanshi was quick to hit back with a reminder of his own contribution. He pointed out that he had to take responsibility whenever Kishan was off the field during the final. “When you were going off the field, who was taking the reviews then? Tell us that too,” Sooryavanshi replied.
Ishan Kishan was briefly away from the field, allowing Sooryavanshi to take over the captaincy responsibilities for East Zone. The youngster showed his confidence almost immediately when veteran fast bowler Mohammed Shami found the edge of South Zone batter Smaran Ravichandran’s bat. Wicketkeeper Kumar Kushagra appealed for the dismissal, while Sooryavanshi immediately called for a review. The decision went in East Zone’s favour, with Ravichandran dismissed for 23.
When the Captain and Vice-Captain meet, you can expect a whole lot of fun and banter! 😄
A wholesome chat between Ishan Kishan and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi post East Zone’s memorable #DuleepTrophy triumph 🏆👏 – By @jigsactin #EZvSZ | @ishankishan51 pic.twitter.com/3kRQC6pVT4
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) September 11, 2026
The successful DRS call sparked celebrations from Sooryavanshi and his teammates. Beyond his DRS involvement, Kishan was impressed by Sooryavanshi’s overall attitude throughout the tournament. The East Zone captain praised the teenager for his ability to connect with teammates across different age groups and highlighted his maturity away from his batting performances.
“But very good to have him in the team because, more than a very good player, he’s a very nice boy who takes care of each and every one in the team, whether it is a junior player or senior. That is one quality which I love about him, and hopefully he will be more dangerous than what he is today,” Kishan said.
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The wicketkeeper-batter also backed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to produce many more memorable performances in domestic cricket. “I think it is not going to be his first or last. He is going to play many more like this and keep performing the way he is doing right now,” he concluded.
Sooryavanshi made a useful contribution with the bat in East Zone’s first innings, scoring 44 runs from 37 balls, including five fours and a six. Although he was dismissed for just eight in the second innings, his confidence, field awareness and willingness to take responsibility added another dimension to his performance. For Kishan, the teenager’s contribution went far beyond the scorecard. His confidence during crucial moments of the Duleep Trophy final showed why East Zone’s leadership group has such faith in him.
