Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has already shown what he can do with the white ball. Now comes the bigger question can the teenager do the same in red ball cricket?
The 2026 Duleep Trophy will give Vaibhav his next big test as he begins his red ball campaign for East Zone.
The teenager has been named vice captain and will face North East Zone in the quarter final at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
Vaibhav’s 2026 season has already been packed with big moments. After making an impact in IPL 2026, he made his India debut and later won the Player of the Series award on the Zimbabwe tour.
But Test cricket is a different challenge. Can his attacking batting work against a red ball over long spells?
Can he show the patience needed in first class cricket? And more importantly, can he turn his early success into a genuine Test cricket claim?
The Bihar batter has already played eight first class matches. He also scored a quick 93 off 67 balls against Meghalaya and has experience of leading the side as vice captain.
Now, the Duleep Trophy gives him a bigger platform. The match starts at 9:30 AM IST today, with live streaming available on JioHotstar and TV coverage on the Star Sports Network.
The hype around Vaibhav is already huge. But the red ball will ask a simple question is he ready for the next step?
