The decision to appoint 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as East Zone's vice-captain for the upcoming Duleep Trophy surprised many, especially with several experienced campaigners available in the squad. However, a member of the East Zone selection committee has now clarified that the move was aimed at grooming the young batter for the future rather than establishing him in the team's leadership hierarchy.
When the East Zone squad was announced, Ishan Kishan was named captain, a choice that drew little
debate given his experience at the domestic and international levels.
The bigger talking point was Sooryavanshi's appointment as vice-captain despite the presence of seasoned players like Abhimanyu Easwaran, who has over 100 first-class appearances and leadership experience with Bengal and India A, as well as India pacers Mohammed Shami and Mukesh Kumar.
According to Manish Vardhan, Jharkhand's representative on the East Zone selection committee, the decision was taken with the youngster's long-term development in mind.
"We are not thinking about the present alone," Manish Vardhan, the former cricketer who is Jharkhand's representative on the East Zone selection committee, told Cricinfo.
Vardhan explained that the vice-captaincy would allow Sooryavanshi to closely observe Kishan's leadership style and understand the responsibilities that come with leading a team.
"A vice-captain gets to observe the captain closely and understand how a team is run. We wanted Vaibhav to be more involved with the group because we think it will help him as he develops."
"He's an extremely talented cricketer and is maturing steadily. Giving him this responsibility is another part of that process."
Vardhan also clarified that Sooryavanshi would not automatically become captain if Kishan were unavailable during the tournament. He revealed that the selectors had not discussed such a scenario but indicated that they would likely turn to a more experienced player to lead the side if required, while allowing the youngster to continue learning in the vice-captain's role.
Emphasising the objective behind Sooryavanshi's appointment, Vardhan said the role was never about hierarchy but about preparing one of India's brightest young talents for bigger responsibilities in the future.
"The vice-captain's role isn't about status. It's about what a young player can learn while working alongside the captain," he concluded.
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