East Zone’s decision to name Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as vice-captain has been widely discussed, and one of the selectors has now explained the thinking behind it.
A surprise choice
The move surprised many fans because the squad included experienced players such as Abhimanyu Easwaran, Mohammed Shami and Mukesh Kumar. Ishan Kishan was the obvious pick as captain, but the teenager’s elevation to deputy drew plenty of attention.
Manish Vardhan, Jharkhand’s representative on the East Zone selection committee, told Cricinfo that the appointment had nothing to do with seniority. He said the panel was not thinking only about the present, and that the aim was to prepare Sooryavanshi for leadership roles later on.
Learning from the captain
Vardhan said a vice-captain can watch the captain closely and see how a team is run, and the selectors wanted the young batter more involved with the group because they believe it will aid his development. He described Sooryavanshi as an extremely talented cricketer who is maturing steadily, with the added responsibility part of that process.
Not an automatic successor
Vardhan was clear that being vice-captain does not mean Sooryavanshi would automatically lead the team if Kishan were unavailable during the tournament. In that case, the selectors would probably hand the captaincy to a more experienced player and let the teenager keep learning in his current role.
The selectors see the decision as an investment in the future, giving him early exposure to leadership to help him grow on and off the field.
