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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's Big Red-Ball Test Falls Flat; This Bowler Gets Him Out
Prateek Thakur | August 23, 2026 1:41 PM CST

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's first major red-ball assignment of the season got off to a disappointing start as the 15-year-old was dismissed for just eight runs in East Zone's Duleep Trophy quarter-final against North East Zone in Bengaluru on Sunday.

North East Zone won the toss and opted to bowl first at the BCCI Centre of Excellence. Sooryavanshi opened the innings alongside Abhimanyu Easwaran but lasted only six balls before his innings came to an end.

Bishworjit Kunthoujam Dismisses Sooryavanshi

Sooryavanshi struck two boundaries during his brief stay at the crease before North East Zone pacer Bishworjit Kunthoujam ended his innings.

The Manipur seamer had Sooryavanshi caught by Joseph Lalthankhuma, leaving East Zone without one of their biggest attractions early in the innings.

Kunthoujam, 30, has considerable experience in first-class cricket, having taken 145 wickets in 47 matches.

Sooryavanshi's dismissal will come as a disappointment after the teenager's remarkable rise in white-ball cricket. The left-hander has already represented India in T20Is and enjoyed a breakout IPL 2026 campaign.

The Duleep Trophy provides Sooryavanshi with an opportunity to develop his red-ball game, with his ability to adapt to the longer format under particular scrutiny.

East Zone Lose Both Openers Early

East Zone suffered another setback soon after Sooryavanshi's departure when Easwaran was dismissed in the sixth over.

The experienced opener was trapped lbw by Jotin Ferozim after scoring 15 runs from 20 deliveries, including two boundaries.

East Zone had lost both their openers for 25 runs, leaving captain Ishan Kishan and the middle order with the task of rebuilding the innings.

Sooryavanshi had entered the match with modest first-class numbers. He had scored 207 runs in 12 innings across eight matches for Bihar, with a highest score of 93 and an average of 17.25.

Duleep Trophy Semi-Final Spot At Stake

The winner of the East Zone vs North East Zone quarter-final will face Central Zone in the semi-final from August 30.

Central Zone have already secured their place in the last four after finishing as runners-up in the previous edition.

For Sooryavanshi, the early dismissal means his next opportunity with the bat will be particularly important as he looks to build experience in red-ball cricket and add another dimension to his rapidly developing game.


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