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Is Vaibhav Sooryavanshi a post-Test cricketer – or could he revolutionise the format? | Jonathan Liew

September 10, 2026 · The Guardian

Enormous excitement surrounded 15-year-old batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi at the five-day Duleep Trophy decider between East Zone and South Zone. The fixture had been relocated from a Bengaluru national academy facility to Chennai's Chepauk Stadium to handle the massive public demand to see the record-breaking left-hander. After roughly 12,000 supporters lined up early in the morning for complimentary admission, the teenager produced a 37-delivery knock of 44 before mistiming a pull stroke toward deep midwicket off a short delivery outside off stump. Barely sixty minutes into the contest, significant numbers of spectators began heading for the exits following his dismissal. While the youngster has become a global sensation naturally suited to limited-overs formats, his output in traditional multi-day cricket currently remains modest by standard measures.