Why Vaibhav Sooryavanshi taped his Duleep Trophy jersey: The logic behind youngster’s attempt to make it No. 3 explained

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s much-anticipated Duleep Trophy debut did not produce the results he would have hoped for, lasting just six balls in the middle for East Zone in the first innings against the North East Zone at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru. However, the 15-year-old still attracted plenty of attention during the domestic red-ball fixture. Sooryavanshi was the talk of the town heading into the competition after he was named as East Zone vice-captain, acting as deputy to Ishan Kishan.

Having already made headlines with his fearless approach in the IPL and in international cricket, Sooryavanshi entered the red-ball contest with considerable interest in his performance. However, his stay at the crease was brief.

Sooryavanshi began in familiar fashion, looking to attack from the outset and finding the boundary twice. However, North East Zone pacer Bishworjit Konthoujam had the last laugh as he dismissed him soon after.

Also Read: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s big red-ball audition ends in six balls as East Zone vice-captain falls for 8 in Duleep Trophy

The teenager might not have lasted for long in the middle; however, his jersey captured the imagination of fans worldwide. As the youngster walked back to the pavilion, part of the number on the back of his East Zone jersey appeared to have been covered with tape.

The exact reason for the alteration has not been officially confirmed. However, the jersey's appearance sparked speculation among fans because Sooryavanshi is strongly associated with the No. 3 shirt.

The teenager wears No. 3 for the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL and also wore the same number after making his India debut. It is therefore possible that the youngster was attempting to retain his preferred number, although that has not been officially established.

Why does Sooryavanshi prefer No. 3?

The number has a personal connection for Sooryavanshi, who has previously revealed that his mother influenced his choice. During India A’s media day ahead of the Under-19 Asia Cup in 2025, the youngster explained that the decision was connected to numerology.

“My mother told me that there is no point in taking 12; let's take three directly,” Sooryavanshi said at the time.

Since then, No. 3 has become closely associated with the young batter and has remained his preferred choice across his cricketing journey.

His favourite number, though, could not change the outcome of his Duleep Trophy debut. Sooryavanshi managed only eight runs before returning to the pavilion, leaving him with plenty to reflect on from his first outing in the tournament.

There is, however, no reason for the youngster to be overly concerned by one short innings. At 15, Sooryavanshi is still at the beginning of his first-class journey. Speaking of the Duleep Trophy match between East and North East Zone, the former posted 467 runs on the board owing to centuries by Shahbaz Ahmed and Sudip Kumar Gharami.

Abhijit K Sarkar then scalped five wickets as East Zone bundled North East Zone out for 111. The East Zone then decided to enforce the follow-on in the fixture.

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