Gautam Gambhir to Decide Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s Duleep Trophy Final Participation

Dubai - Teenage cricket sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been a standout performer for his team, East Zone, during the Duleep Trophy. The 17-year-old had a pivotal role in East Zone's semi-final victory against Central Zone, with scores of 92 and 40. His bowling skills were also on display as he took 2/11 against North East Zone in the quarter-finals.

However, the uncertainty surrounding Sooryavanshi's participation in the Duleep Trophy final has arisen. According to PTI, the Indian head coach, Gautam Gambhir, holds the sole authority to decide if Sooryavanshi, along with Ishan Kishan and Tilak Verma, can play in the final. These players are part of India’s T20I squad, and their inclusion depends on Gambhir's approval.

KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, and Mohammed Siraj will represent South Zone in the final, and they won't face any restrictions as they have no cricket fixtures before India's ODI series against the West Indies, which starts on September 27. The PTI report also mentions that national selectors would like these players to feature in the final, but their decision rests solely with Gambhir.

India's T20 squad is anticipated to gather in Delhi on either September 9 or 10. If Gambhir wants the three players to join the national team schedule, they would miss the final on September 6. Otherwise, they could participate in a match in Chennai before reporting to the Indian Cricket team.