Interim coach VVS Laxman expressed admiration for the growing maturity of Vaibhav Suryavanshi after the 15-year-old player helped India secure a comprehensive victory in the T20 series against Zimbabwe.
Interim coach VVS Laxman expressed admiration for the growing maturity of Vaibhav Suryavanshi after the 15-year-old player helped India secure a comprehensive victory in the T20 series against Zimbabwe.
Suryavanshi scored 81 runs off 49 balls, contributing to India's triumph in the Twenty20 series, which concluded with a 3-0 win against Zimbabwe. His second half-century in four days allowed India to post 192/5, while Zimbabwe managed only 157/7, leading to the series victory on Sunday.
Laxman noted: 'He is very mature. And that is what I truly value in Vaibhav.' He added that Suryavanshi knows how to adapt to the game, as he tempered his natural attacking tendencies in a match played on slow pitches and featuring eight fours and four sixes. Laxman also emphasized that the player constantly analyzes and improves through every experience and match.
Laxman, who temporarily led the team after Gautam Gambhir's absence during the Zimbabwe tour, reported that Suryavanshi reviews every training session, not just matches. Previously, Suryavanshi gained attention for his bold performances for the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League. At the start of his international career, he became the youngest player to represent India before matches against England this month. However, his international debut was challenging: the teenager managed 42 runs in three matches, while India lost the series 0-4 in England, having previously lost 0-2 in Ireland.
In Zimbabwe, Suryavanshi managed to regain form, helping India dominate the team ranked 10th in the table. Laxman stated that he is not surprised by the course of this series, adding that despite the disappointment of not scoring a hundred, he was informed that this would not be the first nor the last opportunity. He possesses the potential for a long career, along with the necessary mindset and attitude for daily improvement.
Shashi Tharoor expressed admiration for Vaibhav Suryavanshi's performance, calling him a 'tremendous player'. After a poor start in the first three matches against England, Vaibhav demonstrated an impressive comeback in the T20 match against Zimbabwe.
At the young age of just 15 years and 118 days, Vaibhav scored a powerful half-century in only 18 balls. During this explosive innings, he unleashed a barrage of fours and sixes, ultimately accumulating 50 runs. Thanks to this feat, Vaibhav became the youngest player in international cricket history to score a half-century, surpassing the record held by Kushal Mall from Nepal, who achieved this milestone at 15 years and 340 days. This world record set by Vaibhav added a new chapter to the history of Indian cricket.
Congressman Shashi Tharoor was also very pleased with Vaibhav's performance. He posted a tweet on his X account praising Vaibhav, writing: 'Vaibhav!! First half-century for India, and in just 18 balls! What a phenomenon! Good enough for today, but I expect many more, and even bigger innings from him!!' Fans also showed their support by posting encouraging messages.
Regarding the match itself, the Indian team, which was targeting a score of 126 runs, received a strong start thanks to Vaibhav. He played at a strike rate of 263.16, scoring 50 runs off 18 balls, including 4 fours and 4 towering sixes. With this explosive innings, Vaibhav allowed India to win the match easily in just 13.2 overs.
Following his debut in the T20 against England, where his form was weak in the first three matches (scoring 14, 13, and 15 runs), raising questions about his selection, this fiery innings in Haranah allowed him to decisively answer his critics.
