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‘Understands, assesses and gets better’: VVS Laxman reveals what sets Vaibhav Sooryavanshi apart at such an early age
VVS Laxman hailed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's maturity after his 81 against Zimbabwe, praising how he assesses situations, learns quickly and keeps improving.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's rapid rise in international cricket received another significant endorsement after VVS Laxman hailed the teenager's maturity and ability to learn following his match-winning knock against Zimbabwe.
The 15-year-old produced a measured 81 off 49 balls in the third T20I in Harare, striking eight fours and four sixes as India posted 192/5 before sealing a 35-run victory and completing a 3-0 series sweep. Sooryavanshi was named Player of the Match as well as Player of the Series after finishing the three games with 151 runs.
While the numbers were impressive, the manner of Sooryavanshi's innings stood out. The left-hander, whose international reputation has quickly been built around explosive starts, adapted his approach on a slower surface and reached his half-century in 31 balls. He eventually accelerated to 81 at a strike rate of 165.30.
VVS Laxman impressed by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's maturity
Speaking at the post-match press conference, India interim head coach Laxman said Sooryavanshi's ability to absorb lessons from every game and training session had impressed him.
“Very mature. And that's what I really appreciate about Vaibhav. With each and every experience, each and every match, he understands, he assesses, and he gets better,” Laxman said. “So I think he does a lot of review of each and every practice session. Not only match.”
Laxman felt the conditions made Sooryavanshi's innings particularly significant. The third T20I was played on a used surface, and the ball was not coming onto the bat as freely, forcing the youngster to adjust rather than simply rely on his natural attacking instincts.
“So today what you saw was a mature innings. Because it was a used wicket. The wicket which we played the match on yesterday. So the ball was stopping and coming. The wicket was slow,” Laxman said.
The director of CoE, India and the one with the coaching responsibilities for the series also revealed that Zimbabwe had arrived with a specific strategy to contain Sooryavanshi after his impact earlier in the series.
“And I thought today the Zimbabweans bowled well. Had a plan to him. So he countered that plan. And it was a very, very mature knock from Vaibhav.”
The innings marked Sooryavanshi's second half-century of the series after he had smashed 50 off only 19 balls in the opening T20I. The contrast between the two knocks underlined precisely what Laxman was highlighting: Sooryavanshi showed he could dominate when conditions allowed, but also adapt when bowlers and surfaces demanded a different approach.
