Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Scores 132 Runs in Duleep Trophy Semifinal vs Central Zone

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi played a decisive role in East Zone’s four-wicket victory over Central Zone in the Duleep Trophy 2026 semifinal at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence Ground 1 in Bengaluru.

The 15-year-old batter narrowly escaped an early dismissal in the first innings before turning the contest around against Punjab Kings fast bowler Yash Thakur. Sooryavanshi eventually finished the semifinal with 132 runs across his two innings, scoring 92 in the first innings and 40 off 43 balls in the second.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi scores 92 in first innings

Sooryavanshi entered the semifinal as East Zone’s vice-captain and briefly took on additional leadership responsibility after captain Ishan Kishan left the field injured on Day 1.

He responded with an important 92 as East Zone managed to cancel out Central Zone’s first-innings total of 266. Although he missed out on a century, his aggressive approach gave East Zone valuable momentum.

Yash Thakur almost dismisses Sooryavanshi with first ball

The most intriguing battle of Sooryavanshi’s first innings came against Yash Thakur. The Punjab Kings fast bowler came extremely close to dismissing the left-hander with the very first delivery he bowled to him.

Thakur angled the new-ball delivery across Sooryavanshi, who edged the ball behind. However, the chance fell just short of wicketkeeper Aryan Juyal, allowing the young batter to survive.

Instead of allowing the narrow escape to affect him, Sooryavanshi immediately went on the offensive.

Sooryavanshi hits 35 runs off next 18 balls

After surviving the early scare, Sooryavanshi attacked Thakur relentlessly. He scored 35 runs from the next 18 deliveries he faced from the fast bowler, including two sixes and five boundaries.

Two of those boundaries came from the final three balls of Thakur’s opening over, immediately turning the momentum in East Zone’s favour.

When Thakur returned for another over, Sooryavanshi continued the assault. He cleared mid-wicket for a six before finding the boundary four more times during the same spell.

The Vidarbha pacer subsequently switched to the media-box end, but the change of angle did little to slow down Sooryavanshi’s scoring.

Youngest batter to score a Duleep Trophy fifty

After taking apart Thakur, Sooryavanshi turned his attention to Saransh Jain. He hit the spinner over mid-wicket for a six to complete his half-century.

The milestone also created a piece of Duleep Trophy history. Sooryavanshi became the youngest batter to score a fifty in the competition, surpassing Laxman Singh, who had achieved the feat at the age of 16 in 1969.

The performance further strengthened the case that Sooryavanshi’s batting ability extends beyond the shortest format of the game.

Sooryavanshi attacks Thakur again in second innings

Sooryavanshi’s battle with Thakur continued when East Zone began their second innings while chasing 158 runs for victory.

Saransh initially managed to keep the young left-hander under control with the new ball. However, once Thakur returned to the attack, Sooryavanshi once again found his rhythm.

The Rajasthan Royals batter smashed Thakur for 20 runs from just nine deliveries, with 18 runs coming in a single over. He produced a remarkable sequence of 4, 6, 4 and 4 from four consecutive deliveries.

Yash Thakur eventually dismisses Sooryavanshi

Thakur eventually managed to end Sooryavanshi’s second-innings stay at the crease. The dismissal came from the final ball of the over after Rajat Patidar produced a stunning catch.

However, by then Sooryavanshi had already done significant damage. His aggressive 40 from 43 deliveries had provided East Zone with the platform they needed to complete the chase.

East Zone reach Duleep Trophy 2026 final

East Zone successfully chased down the target of 158 in 39.3 overs, securing a four-wicket victory over Central Zone and booking their place in the Duleep Trophy 2026 final.

Sooryavanshi’s contribution was central to the result. His combined tally of 132 runs across the semifinal showcased both his ability to build an innings and his willingness to attack quality bowling.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi proves he is more than a T20 batter

One of the biggest takeaways from the semifinal was Sooryavanshi’s ability to influence a first-class contest. The teenager has already attracted significant attention for his performances in T20 cricket, but his Duleep Trophy campaign has provided evidence that he can adapt his aggressive style to the longer format.

His two innings against Central Zone combined patience with attacking strokeplay. More importantly, his response after surviving Thakur’s first-ball chance showed the confidence and temperament that have made him one of India’s most closely watched young batters.

With East Zone now through to the final, Sooryavanshi will have another opportunity to demonstrate his first-class credentials and build on an impressive Duleep Trophy semifinal.