India Coach's Big "Fitness" Message To Vaibhav Sooryavanshi After Series-Winning Show
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's emotional maturity has impressed coach VVS Laxman, but overall fitness is one area where he still has a long way to go.
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi scored 81 off 49 balls in the third T20I against Zimbabwe in Harare
- Sooryavanshi was named Player of the Match and Player of the Series in the three-match T20I series
- Coach VVS Laxman praised his maturity but highlighted the need for improvement in overall fitness
India coach for the 3-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, VVS Laxman, had nothing but praise for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the press conference after the conclusion of the 3rd match on Sunday. Sooryavanshi, who scored a match-winning 81 off 49 balls against the hosts in Harare, ended up taking not just the Player of the Match award but was also named the Player of the Series. While the 15-year-old has certainly ticked a lot of boxes with his performances this early in his career, Laxman had no qualms in admitting that fitness is one area where the management wants him to work harder.
Speaking to the media after the match, Laxman revealed that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) first identified the talent that Sooryavanshi possesses two and a half years ago. That was when the plan to give him opportunities in age-group sides was devised.
"I think we know Vaibhav very well. It was, I think, two and a half years ago that we first identified him, just before the 2024 Under-19 World Cup. He was part of the quadrangular series which happened in Vijayawada, and he was one of the top scorers for India B," Laxman said after the match.
"Since then, he has been there in various camps at the COE. Then he was the highest run-getter in the Under-19 World Cup. So we know him in and out. It's not only the player, but we also know the person. When you know the person, really, from his point of view, what works for him and how do we prepare him so that he's in the best frame of mind when he goes into a match is something which we try to do."
Sooryavanshi Has Matured But Needs To Work On Overall Fitness
Now working with him in India's senior team, Laxman admitted being impressed by how much the teenage opener has evolved as a person and the maturity he has shown. But, if there's one area where Laxman wants Sooryavanshi to work, it is his overall fitness.
"But what is really impressive is the way he's evolved as a person. The maturity level, the understanding and the awareness over the last six months have actually skyrocketed. That's why he's been able to handle tough situations. He's been able to perform under pressure against the best players. One of the areas in which we want him to get better is his overall fitness. We also have to remember that he's just 15 years old. He's a very young boy.
"He himself wants to get better in every aspect of the game. If you see even today's game, he was taking the hot spot. Even though he got injured, he still wanted to be on the field. But it was our physio who actually asked him to come out. So that's the eagerness and the earnestness he has to contribute in every possible way to the team," the former right-hander added.
India Cricket Team
Zimbabwe Cricket Team