Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Sets Duleep Trophy Record as Youngest Half-Centurion

In a remarkable achievement, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has become the youngest player to score a half-century in Duleep Trophy history at just 15 years and 157 days. His milestone came during a semi-final match against Central Zone, where he reached fifty in only 42 balls. Although he fell short of a century, his performance has drawn comparisons to legends like Sachin Tendulkar. This article delves into Sooryavanshi's historic feat and the match details, highlighting the significance of his achievement in the world of cricket.

By Narendra Chaudhary Aug 31, 2026, 14:23 IST

Historic Achievement by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

On Monday, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made headlines by becoming the youngest player to score a half-century in the history of the Duleep Trophy. This remarkable feat occurred during the semi-final match between East Zone and Central Zone at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground 1 in Bengaluru.

At just 15 years and 157 days old, Sooryavanshi reached his fifty in a mere 42 balls, hitting a six off off-spinner Saransh Jain to mark the milestone, thus breaking a record that had stood for 57 years.

A fifty off 42 balls for East Zone vice skipper Vaibhav Sooryavanshi pic.twitter.com/u6q56bAx7D

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) August 31, 2026

The previous record was held by Laxman Singh, who scored a half-century at the age of 16 years and 23 days during the 1969 Duleep Trophy. Additionally, spinner Piyush Chawla had achieved this milestone at 16 years and 307 days in 2005.

Sooryavanshi, however, narrowly missed out on a second record after being dismissed for 92 runs off 81 balls. Had he converted this innings into a century, he would have surpassed Sachin Tendulkar's record for the youngest Duleep Trophy centurion.

ICYMI | Vaibhav Sooryavanshi broke a 57-year-old record this morning pic.twitter.com/r9ycdwFEvt

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) August 31, 2026

Tendulkar had set the record for the youngest centurion in the Duleep Trophy at 17 years and 262 days during the 1990/91 season. A century would have also made Sooryavanshi the second-youngest Indian to score a First-Class century.

The record for the youngest Indian First-Class centurion is held by Dhruv Pandove, who scored a century for Punjab at 14 years and 293 days during the 1988-89 Ranji Trophy season.

In the match, Central Zone was bowled out for 266 runs in their first innings, with Rinku Singh's half-century helping them recover from early setbacks against East Zone.

East Zone won the toss and opted to bowl first, with their pace attack putting Central Zone under pressure throughout the day. Abhijit Sarkar, along with Mukesh Kumar and Mohammed Shami, led the bowling effort as Central Zone struggled to gain momentum.

Central Zone opener Aryan Juyal provided some stability with a score of 46, while captain Rajat Patidar was dismissed for just 12 runs. Yash Rathod contributed 27 runs before Rinku Singh stepped in with a vital 60 off 88 balls to stabilize the innings.

Rinku received support from Harsh Dubey, who added 27 runs, as they formed a crucial partnership to push Central Zone towards a respectable total. Ultimately, Central Zone was all out for 266 runs.

For East Zone, Abhijit Sarkar took three wickets, while Mukesh Kumar and Mohammed Shami contributed with three and two wickets, respectively, in restricting Central Zone's scoring.

In response, East Zone began strongly, with Abhimanyu Easwaran and his teammates providing a solid reply. Meanwhile, 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi continued to shine during the semifinal, having already made history as the youngest player to score a half-century in Duleep Trophy history.