‘Understands, evaluates and improves’: VVS Laxman reveals what makes Vaibhav Sooryavanshi so special

India’s Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (AP photo) Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s remarkable start in international cricket continued to attract praise, with India interim head coach VVS Laxman highlighting the teenager’s maturity and willingness to learn after his composed innings in the third T20I against Zimbabwe. The 15-year-old anchored India’s batting effort with a well-crafted 81 off 49 deliveries in Harare, hitting eight fours and four sixes to guide the visitors to 192/5. India claimed a 35-run victory to complete a three-match clean sweep. Sooryavanshi finished as both Man of the Match and Man of the Series after scoring 151 in three games. Unlike his explosive fifty in the opening T20I, Sooryavanshi had to change his approach in the series finale.

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The left-hander batted on a used surface where the ball gripped and hit the bat slowly and walked his innings smartly. He reached his fifty in 31 balls before increasing his scoring to finish with a strike rate of 165.30. Laxman said after the match that the youngster’s greatest asset is his ability to constantly evaluate his performances and improve at every opportunity. “Very mature. And that’s what I really appreciate about Vaibhav. With every experience, every match, he understands, evaluates and improves,” Laxman said. “So I think he does a lot of revision every practice. Not just the game.” Laxman pointed out that the conditions in Harare called for a different approach with the bat and praised Sooryavanshi for recognizing what the situation called for instead of sticking to his natural attacking game. “So what you saw today was a mature innings. Because it was a used wicket. The wicket we played the match on yesterday. So the ball was stopping and coming. The wicket was slow,” Laxman said. The former India batsman also revealed that Zimbabwe had prepared concrete plans to restrict the young opener after his impact earlier in the series, but Sooryavanshi responded impressively. “And I thought the Zimbabweans played well today. They had a plan for him. So he went against that plan. And it was a very, very mature knock from Vaibhav. The innings showed another side to Sooryavanshi’s game. After blasting a 19-ball half-century in the series opener, the teenager showed that he can also build an innings as the conditions demand. His ability to shift gears and overcome Zimbabwe’s bowling plans has added another dimension to an already impressive start to his international career.