Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s dazzling performances against Zimbabwe have earned widespread praise, but stand-in India head coach VVS Laxman believes the teenage sensation still has an important area to develop if he is to fulfil his enormous potential. The 15-year-old capped off an outstanding series with a brilliant 81 off 49 balls in the third T20I in Harare, guiding India to a 35-run victory and a 3-0 clean sweep. His 151 runs across three matches made him the leading run-scorer of the series and earned him his first Player of the Series award. While Sooryavanshi’s fearless stroke play has already made him one of India’s brightest young prospects, Laxman said improving his overall fitness would be crucial for the youngster’s long-term growth. “The one area we want him to improve is his overall fitness,” Laxman said. The former India batter 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 suffering an injury while attempting a diving catch at deep square leg. “He’s a very young boy. He himself wants to get better in every aspect of the game. Even today, when he got injured (while attempting a diving catch running in from deep square leg), he still wanted to stay on the field. It was our physio who asked him to come off. That’s the eagerness and earnestness he has to contribute in every possible way to the team,” he added. 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 India’s victorious ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup campaign earlier this year, finishing as the tournament’s highest run-scorer with 439 runs and being named 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 once again showcased 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.
