Young opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi came agonisingly close to writing a new chapter in the Duleep Trophy final before falling just short. Batting in the summit clash between East Zone and South Zone, he was only six runs away from a half century when he lost his wicket attempting a big shot. Vaibhav eventually walked back to the pavilion after scoring 44 runs.
A fifty would have rewritten the record books
Had Vaibhav added just six more runs to his tally, he would have become the youngest batsman to score a half century in a Duleep Trophy final, a landmark that would have placed him firmly in the tournament's history. Instead, an ambitious shot cut short his innings before he could reach that milestone, and the record slipped through his fingers.
Chama V Milind ends the innings
The breakthrough came in the 15th over of the innings, when bowler Chama V Milind dismissed Vaibhav. The fourth ball of that over was short of a length, and Vaibhav went after it with a big shot but failed to read the bounce correctly. The ball took the top edge of his bat and sailed high over mid wicket. Running in from deep square leg, South Zone's substitute fielder Thyagarajan made no mistake and completed a superb catch.
An aggressive 37-ball innings
Vaibhav's innings of 44 runs came off just 37 balls and included 5 fours and a six. The knock is another reminder that he is willing to play fearless, attacking cricket even on a big stage like a Duleep Trophy final, even though that same aggression cost him a shot at history this time. For a young batsman still finding his feet at this level, the dismissal is also a lesson to build on as he looks ahead to bigger matches.
