Duleep Trophy Live Score Day 1 — Quarterfinal round updates: Sooryavanshi falls cheaply after East Zone asked to bat first

The biggest talking point ahead of this year’s Duleep Trophy isn’t a batter who scored close to 950 runs in the Ranji Trophy or a fast bowler who picked 60 wickets over the last two domestic seasons.

It’s, instead, a 15-year-old vice-captain.

The East Zone selectors’ decision to appoint Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as deputy to Ishan Kishan has dominated the build-up to the tournament.

Not because the teenager isn’t good enough. In fact, few youngsters have captured the imagination quite like the Bihar batter has over the last year. If the selectors see him as a long-term India player, there is every reason to expose him to bigger stages early.

But even then, it has revived an old debate.

For decades, the Duleep Trophy represented the highest reward for sustained excellence in domestic cricket. Leadership roles, too, generally went to players who had spent years proving themselves in the Ranji Trophy. Sooryavanshi’s elevation doesn’t diminish his credentials, but it does reflect how the conversation around selection has evolved.

Duleep Trophy 2026-27 preview: Can India’s premier domestic tournament still be a pathway to the Test team?