Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will be one of the players in focus when East Zone take on defending champions Central Zone in the first semifinal of the Duleep Trophy 2026 in Bengaluru on Sunday.
The semifinal will be played at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground 1, with the match scheduled to begin at 9:30 AM IST. Central Zone enter the contest as the defending champions, while East Zone will be aiming to book their place in the final.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi In Focus
After an eight-run outing with the bat in the quarter-final, Sooryavanshi will be keen to make a bigger impact against Central Zone. His unexpected contribution with the ball, however, has added another dimension to his role in the East Zone side.
Ahead of the knockout clash, Sooryavanshi opened up about an intriguing moment involving Ishan Kishan during the quarter-final. With East Zone searching for a breakthrough, Kishan handed the ball to the teenager — unaware that his young vice-captain considered himself a genuine wicket-taker.
Watch: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's Candid Interview Ahead Of The Semi Final Clash
𝐁𝐨𝐰𝐥 𝐢𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐕𝐚𝐢𝐛𝐡𝐚𝐯 𝐒𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐲𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢 🎯
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) August 29, 2026
Meet the secret wicket-taker who enjoys bowling and answered his captain's 'risky' call 🤙 - By @jigsactin#DuleepTrophy pic.twitter.com/ZhZ0QkeyZm
ALSO READ: Watch: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Takes Two Wickets In One Over In Duleep Trophy
Duleep Trophy 2026 East Zone vs Central Zone: Match Details
- Match: East Zone vs Central Zone, 1st Semi-Final
- Date: Sunday, August 30, 2026
- Venue: BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground 1, Bengaluru
- Start Time: 9:30 AM IST
- Tournament: Duleep Trophy 2026
Duleep Trophy 2026 East Zone vs Central Zone, 1st SemiFinal Toss Update
East Zone have won the toss & elected to field.
Duleep Trophy 2026 East Zone vs Central Zone, 1st SemiFinal: Playing XI
North Zone (Playing XI): Qamran Iqbal, Sanat Sangwan, Ayush Doseja, Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Kanhaiya Wadhawan(w/c), Nishant Sindhu, Abid Mushtaq, Anshul Kamboj, Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar
South Zone (Playing XI): Narayan Jagadeesan(w), Smaran Ravichandran, Tilak Varma(c), Kodimela Himateja, Shaik Rasheed, Ricky Bhui, Shreyas Gopal, Tanay Thyagarajan, Kavuri Saiteja, Vidhwath Kaverappa, MD Nidheesh
Duleep Trophy 2026 East Zone vs Central Zone, 1st SemiFinal: Live Telecast
The Duleep Trophy 2026 first semifinal between East Zone and Central Zone will be telecast live on Star Sports Khel in India.
Duleep Trophy 2026 East Zone vs Central Zone, 1st SemiFinal: Live Streaming
The live streaming of East Zone vs Central Zone will be available on the JioHotstar app and website in India.
East Zone vs Central Zone: What To Expect
East Zone will rely on their experienced core, including Abhimanyu Easwaran, Ishan Kishan, Shahbaz Ahmed and Mohammed Shami, while Sooryavanshi provides another all-round option. Central Zone, meanwhile, will look to their established performers to handle the pressure of a knockout contest.
Duleep Trophy 2026 East Zone vs Central Zone, 1st SemiFinal: Squads
East Zone Squad: Abhimanyu Easwaran, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Kumar Kushagra, Sudip Kumar Gharami, Virat Singh, Ishan Kishan(w/c), Shahbaz Ahmed, Anukul Roy, Mohammed Shami, Mukesh Kumar, Abhijit K Sarkar, Subhranshu Senapati, Denish Das, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal, Shikhar Mohan
Central Zone Squad: Aayush Pandey, Aryan Juyal(w), Yash Rathod, Rajat Patidar(c), Rinku Singh, Harsh Dubey, Saransh Jain, Arshad Khan, Zeeshan Ansari, Yash Thakur, Aryan Pandey, Kunal Chandela, Nachiket Bhute, Aman Mokhade, Kunal Singh Rathore
South Zone vs North Zone Also In Action
In the other Duleep Trophy semifinal, South Zone will face North Zone at BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground 2 in Bengaluru. The match will also begin at 9:30 AM IST on Sunday, with South Zone led by Tilak Varma and North Zone looking to build on their quarterfinal win over West Zone.
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