Tilak Varma appeared to have a few words for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi during the Duleep Trophy final on Sunday, with the South Zone captain walking straight up to the 15-year-old batter and speaking to him at close quarters.The exchange quickly caught attention, although what Tilak said could not be heard clearly.Sooryavanshi did not appear distracted by the moment, continuing his aggressive approach against the South Zone bowlers at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The East Zone vice-captain had already made a flying start and was taking advantage of the field placements made by Tilak.
Sooryavanshi takes on Siraj
The 15-year-old left-hander from Samastipur, Bihar, showed no hesitation in taking on experienced India pacer Mohammed Siraj.Sooryavanshi smashed two boundaries and a six in one over from Siraj, putting the pacer under considerable pressure and forcing Tilak to take him out of the attack.The teenager repeatedly found gaps and cleared the infield as Tilak kept a defensive field early in the innings.At the other end, Abhimanyu Easwaran was matching Sooryavanshi shot for shot. The experienced Bengal batter reached his half-century before the youngster and eventually went on to score 72.The opening pair also brought up a 100-run partnership before Sooryavanshi’s promising innings came to an end.
Sooryavanshi misses another century
Sooryavanshi looked set for another substantial score but once again failed to convert his start into a century.The youngster was dismissed for 44 by Chama V Milind as his attacking instincts got the better of him while he was approaching a potentially big score.It was a familiar story for the teenager, who had also missed out on a century in the semi-final against Central Zone. Sooryavanshi was dismissed for 92 in that match, although his contribution helped Ishan Kishan-led East Zone progress to the final.
East Zone eye long-awaited Duleep Trophy title
Earlier, East Zone captain Ishan Kishan won the toss and opted to bat first in Chennai.East Zone made one change to their playing XI, while South Zone made four changes, including the return of Devdutt Padikkal and Mohammed Siraj.East Zone are aiming to win their first Duleep Trophy since 2012-13, when they defeated Central Zone in the final to claim their second title.South Zone have a far stronger record in the competition, having won 12 titles, with their most recent triumph coming in 2023.Tilak entered the final after playing a starring role in South Zone’s semi-final against North Zone. His unbeaten century and an unbeaten half-century helped his team beat North Zone by seven wickets.
