Vaibhav Sooryavanshi showcased another string to his bow with career-best first-class bowling figures as East Zone stormed into the Duleep Trophy 2026 semi-finals with an innings and 210-run win over North East Zone on Tuesday.
The 15-year-old cricketer, better known for his explosive batting, struck twice in four deliveries with his left-arm orthodox spin as North East Zone were bowled out for 146 in their second innings at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground 2 in Bengaluru.
Playing his maiden Duleep Trophy match and only his ninth first-class game overall, Sooryavanshi returned career-best figures of 2/11 from three overs.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi provides Double Delight ✌️
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) August 25, 2026
Picks up 2⃣ wickets in the over. 2 excellent catches as well. 🙌
North East Zone are 79/7 in the 2nd innings after following on.
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/XJFhfvvTIU#DuleepTrophy pic.twitter.com/NnYbBPnrja
Having conceded a massive 356-run first-innings deficit after being dismissed for 111 in response to East Zone's 467, North East Zone were asked to follow on.
Sooryavanshi, who represents Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League, made his mark with the ball in the 28th over of the innings.
Kishan Lyngdoh, batting on 25, looked to heave the teenager but failed to make a clean connection, with substitute fielder Denish Das completing the catch.
Three deliveries later, Sooryavanshi struck again. Imliwati Lemtur attempted to defend but edged the ball behind, where East Zone captain Ishan Kishan completed the catch.
The double strike reduced North East Zone to 79/7 and gave Sooryavanshi his third and fourth wickets in first-class cricket.
His figures of 2/11 from three overs also comfortably bettered his previous first-class best of 1/7, which came for Bihar against Manipur in the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy Plate match in Nadiad last year.
His sole fifty in first-class cricket remains a blistering 93 off 67 balls for Bihar against Meghalaya in the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 Plate competition in Patna.
Sooryavanshi had contributed in the field during North East Zone's first innings as well, taking the catch that dismissed Bishworjit Konthoujam off Abhijit Sarkar.
The teenager had earlier scored eight off six deliveries, including two boundaries, in East Zone's only innings of the match.
East Zone will now face defending champions Central Zone in the Duleep Trophy semi-finals, starting August 30.
Elsewhere in Bengaluru, fellow RR player Tushar Deshpande also made an impressive start to his Duleep Trophy campaign for West Zone against North Zone.
The right-arm pacer returned figures of 4/57 in first innings, dismissing Qamran Iqbal, Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad and Abid Mushtaq as they were bowled out for 251.
The North Zone-West Zone quarter-final remains in progress, with the winner set to face South Zone in the second semi-final from August 30.
