2 min readSep 1, 2026 06:15 AM IST First published on: Sep 1, 2026 at 06:15 AM ISTAll eyes were on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi when East Zone began their first innings against Central Zone on Day 2 of the Duleep Trophy semi-final in Bengaluru on Monday. At 15, with the attention surrounding him growing with every innings, that was inevitable. Yet, he did not seem weighed down by it. He went out and played his own game against both the fast bowlers and spinners.His 92 off 81 balls showed why there is so much excitement around him, and equally, why he remains a work in progress. He cover-drove fast bowler Yash Thakur for four, but was later beaten by the same bowler, who induced an outside edge that fell short of the wicketkeeper. He recovered quickly, straight driving Thakur before smashing a six over his head. Sooryavanshi did not curb his attacking instinct when off-spinner Saransh Jain came on in the 13th over. He was deceived in flight on 40, only for Yash Rathod to drop a sitter. The left-hander, though, did not go into his shell despite the reprieve. He tried the reverse sweep, used his feet, and launched Jain over long-on to reach 50 from 42 balls.AdvertisementThere is a little bit of Virender Sehwag in the way he bats: See the ball, trust yourself, and play without fear. He also has an uncluttered mind, unburdened by the fear of failure. But it is far too early for comparisons, and his dismissal showed why. With a fielder at mid-wicket, he still tried to clear him off Harsh Dubey and fell for 92. Yet, Sooryavanshi gives his team flying starts and makes captains think differently. His next step is learning when to attack and when to hold back and play bigger knocks, without losing what makes him special.