'Not my fault': Vaibhav Sooryavanshi sledges back at Tilak Varma in Duleep Trophy final

Young batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi gave India T20I vice-captain Tilak Varma a taste of his own medicine during an intense passage of play in the Duleep Trophy final. The spirited teenager was seen repeatedly giving it back to the South Zone skipper, turning a high-stakes red-ball contest into a gripping psychological battle.

The roots of the confrontation trace back to the first innings, where Varma had reportedly directed verbal volleys at the young prodigy while field setting. Unfazed by the stature of his senior counterpart, Sooryavanshi waited for his moment to settle the score when South Zone came out to bat in the second innings.

Stationed close to the batter, Sooryavanshi kept up a relentless stream of chatter, disrupting Varma's rhythm as he tried to build his innings. Visibly annoyed by the persistent distraction, the South Zone captain eventually approached the field umpires to formally lodge a complaint regarding the teenager's conduct.

However, Sooryavanshi stood his ground firmly when questioned by the match officials. The young talent stood up for himself with a quick-witted response, exclaiming that it was "not my fault" and maintaining that he was merely returning the favor from the opening session of the match.

The intense war of words appeared to have a subtle impact on Varma's concentration. The South Zone skipper, who was looking solid and anchored the innings under pressure, suffered a painful heartbreak when he fell just one run short of a well-deserved milestone.

This fiery exchange underlines the fiercely competitive nature of the domestic circuit, where rising stars show no deferential treatment to established international players. Sooryavanshi's fearless temperament on the big stage has further added spice to an already dramatic Duleep Trophy final.