Former Indian wicket-keeper Deep Dasgupta has slammed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s appointment as East Zone vice-captain for 2026-27 Duleep Trophy. Sooryavanshi has so far featured in only eight first-class matches, but he hasn’t yet ignited a fire in the red-ball format, scoring 207 runs in 12 innings at an average of 17.25, with a best of 93.
Sooryavanshi is expected to open the innings with Abhimanyu Easwaran, who is the most experienced member and the highest run-scorer in the squad.
Meanwhile, East Zone selector Manish Vardhan revealed that Sooryavanshi has been backed as a vice-captain to learn how a team is led.
Deep Dasgupta said on his YouTube Channel, “I don’t agree with this decision. There are players in this team, like Anukul, who have been playing for several years. They could have been given that leadership role. I do agree that, despite being just 15 or 16 years old, he is extremely mature. There’s no doubt about that. But I don’t think there was any need to make this move at this stage, especially in red-ball cricket.”
The former gloveman said Sooryavanshi is still very young and needs to prove his mettle in the red-ball format.
“It is beyond me, absolutely beyond me, that you make someone who has only recently started playing red-ball cricket, and is still very young, the vice-captain of an East Zone team. He hasn’t even established himself in red-ball cricket yet. He doesn’t have enough numbers at that level, and he hasn’t played many matches either. So, just let him play first. Let him establish himself.”
The former Bengal cricketer expressed his delight that Sooryavanshi is playing red-ball cricket.
“One good thing is that he’s playing red-ball cricket. I’ve always been worried, especially with a talent like Vaibhav, that he might give up red-ball cricket and focus only on white-ball cricket. So I’m very glad that he’s playing red-ball cricket and representing the East Zone. But I was very, very surprised by this decision. I don’t agree with it. Let him play first. Let him establish himself.”
Sooryavanshi will be in action for East Zone from August 23.
