There was a point during the IPL when it became hard to miss who the crowd had come to watch. Children would turn up with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s name on their lips, and the back of their T-shirts. Older fans, too, were keen to see the 15-year-old in action. It did not matter that he was playing alongside some of the biggest names in the game. There was a curiosity around Vaibhav that made people want to see him for themselves.That curiosity has now followed him into domestic cricket.Former India captain Kris Srikkanth, speaking on his YouTube show, offered a glimpse of Vaibhav’s pull when he revealed that he and his wife had sat down to watch the teenager in the Duleep Trophy semi-final between East Zone and Central Zone earlier this week.“Now, all of us sat and watched Duleep Trophy, right?
That’s his pull,” Srikkanth said.“Most of us tuned in when he was batting. Even my wife was watching the Duleep Trophy match.” THE VAIBHAV PULLIt was not an international match. It was not the IPL. The Duleep Trophy does not ordinarily draw that kind of attention from the wider cricket audience. But Vaibhav has been giving people a reason to tune in.In the semi-final against Central Zone, he smashed 92 off 81 balls, with seven sixes and seven fours.
He missed another century, but his innings helped set up East Zone’s win. He followed it with 42 in the second innings as East Zone chased down 159 to reach the final for the first time in 14 years.NERVOUS NINETIES?Srikkanth, though, has a small grouse with Vaibhav’s habit of falling short of three figures.“Hey, you have again missed a century. But look at the way he is hitting,” he said.
It was brilliant to watch him
“It was brilliant to watch him in the semi-final. Why are even people doubting if he is capable of playing higher-level cricket? He is playing very well.”Vaibhav’s habit of getting out in the 90s has become something of a running joke. He had three scores in the 90s in the IPL this season, making 93, 97 and 96, before adding another 92 in the Duleep Trophy semi-final.“Why da Vaibhav?
He is getting out in the 90s more than me,” Srikkanth joked. “From the IPL, he must have missed five centuries this season.”Srikkanth believes it is Vaibhav’s attacking approach that sets him apart.“He is smashing medium pacers over their heads. He hit seven sixes in the first innings,” he said. “Once he stabilises and proves his thing, he will play cricket on a different level.”There has been more to Vaibhav’s Duleep Trophy campaign than his batting.
He also took responsibility as East Zone captain after Ishan Kishan left the field during the semi-final, something that even surprised Srikkanth.“I was a little sceptical when he took over as the captain,” he admitted. “But East Zone has gone into the final.”BUILT FOR MORESrikkanth believes the teenager needs to be handled carefully as his career develops.“He is playing outstanding cricket.
He should be encouraged
He should be encouraged. If they mould him well, he will be a superstar,” he said. That attention has followed Vaibhav since his breakthrough IPL season. He made his India debut in July and then struck two half-centuries against Zimbabwe. Since then, the chatter around the teenager has only grown. The hundreds may have eluded him, but the runs, the fearless strokeplay and his willingness to take on experienced bowlers have kept him in the spotlight.And now, the pull that first became evident at the IPL has reached domestic cricket.
People are sitting down to watch a Duleep Trophy match because Vaibhav is batting.Srikkanth believes that interest could eventually extend to the longest format.“He will bring back the Test cricket craze,” he said. “He will be a big asset for world cricket.”- EndsPublished By: Kingshuk KusariPublished On: Sep 5, 2026 11:54 IST
Source: www.indiatoday.in
