Bengaluru, Aug 31: Teen batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi scripted history in the Duleep Trophy semi-final, becoming the youngest player ever to score a half-century in the prestigious domestic competition.
The 15-year-old achieved the landmark at the age of 15 years and 175 days during East Zone’s 2026 semi-final against Central Zone in Bengaluru, breaking a record that had stood for 57 years.
Sooryavanshi brought up his fifty in just 42 balls, sealing the milestone with a six, before going on to score an impressive 92 off 81 deliveries. He missed out on a century by just eight runs.
“At 15 years and 175 days, Sooryavanshi surpassed a record that had stood for 57 years,” the milestone highlighted.
The youngster surpassed Laxman Singh, who was 16 years and 23 days old when he scored a Duleep Trophy fifty in 1969. He also moved ahead of Piyush Chawla, who was 16 years and 307 days old when he achieved the feat in 2005.
Sooryavanshi’s record-breaking batting display came a day after he found himself in an unusual leadership role.
East Zone skipper Ishan Kishan was forced off the field during the opening day’s morning session after being struck on his right wrist. Sooryavanshi briefly took over as stand-in captain for around an hour on either side of lunch before Kishan returned to lead the side.
During his short stint as captain, Sooryavanshi also made a crucial DRS intervention.
In the 40th over, Central Zone opener and wicketkeeper Aryan Juyal was on 46 when he edged a delivery from Mukesh Kumar outside off. The on-field umpire turned down East Zone’s caught-behind appeal, but Sooryavanshi backed his judgement and opted for a review.
UltraEdge confirmed the edge, handing East Zone an important breakthrough.
Earlier, Central Zone were bowled out for 266 in 80.1 overs after East Zone opted to field.
Mukesh Kumar and Abhijit Sarkar claimed three wickets apiece, while Mohammed Shami and Md Kounain Quraishi picked up two each.
Rinku Singh top-scored for Central Zone with 60 off 88 balls, while Juyal contributed 46. Rinku and Harsh Dubey also put together a 55-run sixth-wicket partnership after Central Zone slipped to 125/5.
Quraishi ended the stand by dismissing Dubey lbw in the 60th over, triggering another collapse.
For Sooryavanshi, the semi-final has already turned into a landmark occasion. After briefly leading East Zone, he produced a record-breaking half-century and followed it with a commanding 92, further enhancing his reputation as one of India’s most promising young batting talents.
“He reached his fifty in just 42 balls with a six,” the milestone highlighted.
The only blemish in an otherwise memorable outing was his failure to convert the innings into a century, as the teenager fell just eight runs short of three figures.
