Duleep Trophy curtain-raiser puts spotlight on teenage batter

Bengaluru: India’s Saransh Jain, Manav Suthar, Auqib Nabi and Sarfaraz Khan, who are all in Sri Lanka for the ongoing Test series, are proof that selectors don’t deny consistent domestic performers.

India’s domestic cricketers can draw inspiration from such journeys as they head into the Duleep Trophy, the curtain-raiser for the domestic season, at the BCCI Centre of Excellence from Sunday onwards.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s red-ball audition

The spotlight will be on 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The Bihar boy has already made his T20 debut after a stunning IPL 2026 season.

There have been questions about whether the big-hitting batter has the patience and composure to play in the longer format. His 207 runs in eight first-class matches do not justify his skill set.

At this juncture, the upcoming domestic seasons in red-ball cricket assume greater significance.