Many were taken aback by the choice to name 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as East Zone’s vice-captain for the forthcoming Duleep Trophy, especially considering that the team had a number of seasoned campaigners. A member of the East Zone selection committee has recently stated that the goal of the transfer was not to establish the young batter in the team’s leadership hierarchy, but rather to prepare him for the future.
Ishan Kishan was selected captain when the East Zone team was revealed, a decision that generated little discussion considering his background both domestically and internationally.
The main topic of discussion was Vaibhav Sooryavanshi selection as vice captain in spite of the presence of seasoned players like India pacers Mohammed Shami and Mukesh Kumar, as well as Abhimanyu Easwaran, who has over 100 first-class matches and leadership experience with Bengal and India A.
The choice was made with the child’s long-term growth in mind, according to Manish Vardhan, Jharkhand’s representative on the East Zone selection committee.
Vardhan clarified that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will be able to thoroughly examine Kishan’s leadership style and comprehend the duties associated with team leadership as vice-captain.
Additionally, Vardhan explained that in the event that Kishan was unable to play during the competition, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi would not automatically take over as captain. He disclosed that the selectors had not talked about such a situation, but he did say that if necessary, they would probably choose a more seasoned player to guide the team while letting the young player continue to gain experience in the position of vice captain.
Vardhan emphasised that the purpose of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi appointment was to prepare one of India’s most talented young people for greater responsibilities in the future rather than to establish hierarchy.
