Ishan Kishan named East Zone captain for Duleep Trophy

Ishan Kishan will captain East Zone in the Duleep Trophy 2026, and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is his 15-year-old vice-captain. The selectors looked at Sooryavanshi's experience leading Bihar and India's Under-19 World Cup-winning side before handing him the role.

Kishan is back in India's T20I side after a series of match-winning knocks against Zimbabwe. That form, plus his leadership record, tipped the scales for East Zone.

Sooryavanshi gets a close look at senior dressing-room life during the tournament, and he'll line up next to Abhimanyu Easwaran and the rest of the experienced East Zone squad.