Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s dazzling performances against Zimbabwe won widespread praise, but India’s coach stand-in VVS Laxman I believe that the feeling of the teenager still has an important space to develop if he wants to fulfill his enormous potential. The 15-year-old capped an outstanding run with a brilliant 81 off 49 balls in the third T20I in Harare, guiding India to a 35-run win and a 3-0 clean sweep. His 151 runs in three matches made him the leading scorer of the series and earned him his first Player of the Series award. While Sooryavanshi’s fearless play has already made him one of India’s brightest young prospects, Laxman he said improving his overall form would be crucial to the youngster’s long-term growth. “The one area we want him to improve is his overall fitness,” Laxman said. The former India batsman also highlighted Sooryavanshi’s commitment and desire to contribute to the team, pointing to an incident during the third T20I when the teenager wanted to continue despite his injury while attempting a diving catch at deep square leg. “He is a very young boy. He himself wants to improve in every aspect of the game. Even today, when he was injured (while attempting a diving catch that ran from deep square leg), he still wanted to stay on the field. It was our physical who asked him to come out. It is the anxiety and the seriousness that he will contribute in any way possible to contribute to the team. Laxman has closely monitored Sooryavanshi’s development over the past year through his role as the BCCI’s Head of Cricket. The youngster flourished under his guidance during the victorious ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup campaign in India earlier this year, finishing as the tournament’s highest run-scorer with 439 runs and being named the Player of the Tournament. The Zimbabwe series was another significant step in Sooryavanshi’s rapid rise. Having already impressed during his two seasons with the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League, the left-handed opener has once again demonstrated his ability on the international stage, underlining why he is regarded as one of the country’s most exciting batting talents. Despite the accolades, Laxman’s message was clear: refining his fitness levels will be a vital part of Sooryavanshi’s journey as he looks to build on an already impressive start to his career.
