'He could captain India': Why Sooryavanshi was named East Zone vice-captain

The East Zone selectors have defended their decision to appoint 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as vice-captain for the upcoming Duleep Trophy, describing the move as part of a long-term leadership plan rather than an indication of the team's pecking order.While Ishan Kishan's appointment as captain was widely expected, the decision to hand the vice-captaincy to Sooryavanshi drew attention, especially with experienced campaigners such as Abhimanyu Easwaran, Mohammed Shami and Mukesh Kumar also part of the squad.Sooryavanshi has featured in only eight first-class matches for Bihar, while Easwaran has played 113 first-class games and previously captained Bengal, India A and other representative sides.Explaining the reasoning behind the decision, Manish Vardhan, Jharkhand's representative on the East Zone selection committee, said the move was aimed at helping the youngster understand leadership from close quarters."We are not thinking about the present alone," Vardhan told Cricinfo.