Why Vaibhav Sooryavanshi taped his Duleep Trophy jersey to make it No. 3 and the numerology behind it
Teen prodigy’s taped jersey hides a deeper bond with his lucky number 3
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's Duleep Trophy outing did not go according to plan, but it was his unusual jersey that also caught the attention of fans.
The 15 year old made his Duleep Trophy debut for East Zone against North East Zone on Sunday, August 23. He was also named deputy to captain Ishan Kishan for the tournament.
Sooryavanshi started in his usual aggressive fashion, hitting two boundaries before North East Zone pacer Bishworjit Konthoujam dismissed him for 8 off six balls.
His aggressive approach has already brought him plenty of success in shorter formats, but longer format cricket demands a different level of patience and maturity.
Sooryavanshi will need to understand when to attack and when to spend time at the crease. Red ball cricket can test a batter's technique, temperament and patience in ways limited overs cricket does not.
But he is still only 15 and has plenty of time to learn and improve. The talent is clearly there. The next step in his development will be adding patience and maturity to his natural attacking game without taking away the fearlessness that makes him such an exciting prospect.
Why did Vaibhav Sooryavanshi tape his jersey?
As Sooryavanshi walked back to the pavilion, fans noticed something unusual. Part of the number on the back of his jersey had been covered with tape.
The reason appears to be simple. Sooryavanshi prefers wearing the No. 3 jersey, but seemingly did not receive one from East Zone.
The youngster found his own solution, covering part of the original number with tape to make it appear as No. 3.
Sooryavanshi has become closely associated with the number. He wears No. 3 for Rajasthan Royals and also wore the same number after making his India debut.
Why does Sooryavanshi wear No. 3?
There is a personal reason behind his choice.
Sooryavanshi previously revealed that his mother suggested No. 3 because of numerology.
“1 and 2 make 3. My mother told me that there is no point in taking 12; let's take three directly,” Sooryavanshi said during India A's media day ahead of the Under 19 Asia Cup in 2025.
He has stuck with No. 3 since then and has enjoyed plenty of success while wearing it.
This time, however, his favourite number could not bring him much luck. Sooryavanshi managed just eight runs in his first innings, although he will have another opportunity to make his mark if East Zone bat again.
