Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has added another major achievement to his rapidly developing cricket career after rewriting the Duleep Trophy record books during the 2026 semifinal between East Zone and Central Zone in Bengaluru.
The 15 year old batter became the youngest player to score a half century in the history of the Duleep Trophy. He reached the landmark in just 42 balls, producing an aggressive innings against Central Zone at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground 1.
Sooryavanshi’s achievement ended a record that had remained intact for 57 years. The previous record belonged to Laxman Singh, who scored a Duleep Trophy fifty in 1969 at the age of 16 years and 23 days. Sooryavanshi surpassed that mark while playing for East Zone in the semifinal.
The young batter continued his impressive innings after reaching the milestone. He went on to score 92 runs from 81 deliveries before being dismissed, ending his hopes of completing a century. His innings included several attacking strokes and helped East Zone make a strong recovery after Central Zone had established an advantage in the match.
Sooryavanshi’s half century came during an important phase of East Zone’s first innings. He opened the innings alongside experienced batter Abhimanyu Easwaran, and the pair produced a partnership of 161 runs. Their stand helped East Zone reduce Central Zone’s first innings advantage and put the team in a stronger position.
The record breaking fifty was completed when Sooryavanshi struck a six off off spinner Saransh Jain. His aggressive approach was evident throughout the innings, and he reached the landmark in only 42 deliveries. The achievement underlined his ability to perform on a major domestic stage despite his young age.
However, another record remained just beyond his reach. If Sooryavanshi had scored a century, he would have broken Sachin Tendulkar’s long standing record for the youngest player to score a Duleep Trophy century. Tendulkar achieved that feat during the 1990 91 season at the age of 17 years and 262 days. Sooryavanshi was dismissed with his score on 92, leaving him eight runs short of the milestone.
The century would also have placed Sooryavanshi among the youngest Indian players to score a first class century. The record in that category belongs to Punjab’s Dhruv Pandove, who scored a century at the age of 14 years and 293 days in the 1988 89 Ranji Trophy season.
Sooryavanshi entered the match with relatively limited first class experience. The latest performance is therefore notable because it came against a strong Central Zone side in a knockout match. His innings combined attacking batting with patience during a long partnership with Easwaran.
The semifinal itself began with Central Zone being dismissed for 266 runs. East Zone captain Ishan Kishan had won the toss and elected to bowl, and the decision initially worked well as the bowling attack restricted Central Zone. Mukesh Kumar and Abhijit Sarkar claimed three wickets each, while Mohammed Shami and Mohammad Kounain Quraishi took two wickets apiece.
The match also provided Sooryavanshi with an unusual leadership opportunity. Ishan Kishan was forced to leave the field after suffering an injury to his right wrist while keeping wicket. During Kishan’s absence, Sooryavanshi took over as East Zone’s stand in captain for a period of the innings. Kishan later returned to the field.
Sooryavanshi had been appointed vice captain of East Zone for the Duleep Trophy, a decision that had attracted discussion because of his age and limited senior experience. The selectors had reportedly viewed the leadership role as part of his long term development. His brief stint as captain during the semifinal gave him an opportunity to gain further experience at senior domestic level.
His record breaking innings also represents an important development after a relatively modest start to the tournament. Sooryavanshi scored only eight runs in East Zone’s earlier match against North East Zone, although he made an impact with the ball. His performance against Central Zone demonstrated a significant improvement with the bat.
The youngster’s ability to play aggressively against experienced domestic bowlers has been one of the defining features of his emergence. Reaching fifty from 42 balls in a Duleep Trophy semifinal showed that he was prepared to maintain his attacking approach despite the significance of the match.
His dismissal for 92 was ultimately disappointing from an individual perspective because he had been within sight of a century. Nevertheless, the innings became historic because his half century alone was enough to break a record that had stood since 1969.
The performance has also generated further attention around Sooryavanshi’s potential future in Indian cricket. His young age means that comparisons with established players should be viewed carefully, but his record in domestic cricket is already attracting significant interest.
For East Zone, his partnership with Abhimanyu Easwaran was particularly valuable. The 161 run opening stand provided stability after Central Zone had been bowled out for 266 and enabled the team to reduce the first innings deficit. Sooryavanshi eventually fell for 92 after being caught at deep midwicket while attempting another attacking shot.
The match also demonstrated the significance of the Duleep Trophy as a platform for emerging players. The tournament brings together leading domestic cricketers from different zones and provides young players with opportunities to compete against experienced performers.
Sooryavanshi’s record now places his name alongside several notable young cricketers who have achieved milestones in the competition. Laxman Singh’s previous record had survived for more than five decades before being surpassed by the teenage batter.
The young batter’s achievement comes at a time when his career is attracting increasing attention after performances across different levels of Indian cricket. His progress is being followed closely because of the combination of his age, aggressive batting style and willingness to take on senior responsibilities.
The Duleep Trophy fifty is another landmark in that journey. While he missed the opportunity to break Tendulkar’s century record, scoring 92 in a semifinal and becoming the youngest Duleep Trophy half centurion represent significant achievements in their own right.
For now, the main statistic from the match is clear. At just 15, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has become the youngest player to score a fifty in Duleep Trophy history, replacing a record that had belonged to Laxman Singh since 1969. His 92 run innings has ensured that his name will remain part of the tournament’s record books for years to come.