India’s interim head coach VVS Laxman on Sunday said Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s game awareness has “skyrocketed” in the last six months, with the teenage batting sensation’s growing maturity helping him deal with pressure situations in the early stages of his international career.
The 15-year-old silenced his critics in emphatic fashion, completing a memorable tour by winning both the Player of the Match and Player of the Series awards as India thrashed Zimbabwe 3-0 with a 35-run win in the final T20I on Sunday.
“The way he has evolved as a person is really impressive. The maturity level, understanding and awareness have really skyrocketed in the last six months. And that’s why he is able to handle difficult situations,” Laxman said during the post-match press conference.
Suryavanshi scored 151 runs in three innings at an average of 50.33, his brilliant 81 in the series finale laying the foundation for India’s victory.
This came after the teenager endured a forgettable debut series against England, leaving scores of 13, 14 and 15 in the fifth and final T20I as India lost the series 0-4.
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“They played the Under-19 World Cup and within four to five months they dominated the IPL. We know how tough the IPL competition can be.”
“Taking the best bowlers, not just from India but from around the world, the way he developed, the way he grew as an international cricketer and showed what kind of ability and class and talent he has,” Laxman, who is serving as interim head coach, said while giving Gautam Gambhir some time off ahead of the two-Test tour of Sri Lanka next month.
Laxman further said that Suryavanshi’s hunger to improve was evident in their attitude throughout the series, pointing to an incident where the young player was eager to remain on the field and contribute to the team despite being injured.
“We also have to remember that he’s just 15 years old. He’s a very young guy. And he himself wants to get better in every aspect of the game. And if you look at it, even in today’s game, he was taking hot spots.
“Even though he was injured, he still wanted to be on the field. But it was our physio who actually asked him to come out. So, he has to carry that same eagerness and sincerity and contribute to the team in every possible way,” Laxman said.
Asked whether he expected Suryavanshi to make such a strong comeback after his disappointing start to his international career in England, where he managed only three modest scores before being dropped, Laxman said he never doubted the teenager’s ability to bounce back as he has shown time and again the nature to thrive under pressure in the IPL.
“It (performance) was at the expected level. Then, last year when he played for Rajasthan Royals for the first time, I think the way he handled the pressure, because I believe any IPL match is equal to an international match.
“And at the age of 14 or 15, when you are playing an IPL match, you can either be overwhelmed by the big occasion or handle the pressure. And I think he has chosen the second option where he has accepted the pressure. So, I am not surprised at all with the way this series has gone.”
Laxman revealed that Suryavanshi was disappointed after missing out on a century in the final T20 match, but said the youngster was immediately reminded that he has a long career ahead of him with plenty of opportunities.
“He was disappointed not to score 100. But we told him that this will not be the first or last time he gets a chance to score 100. He has a long career.
“And he has the attitude and the mentality to get better every day. And I am sure he will progress and break all the records at the international level. He has all the potential and capability to do that,” Laxman said.
Laxman said India’s strong cricket ecosystem and talent pipeline will continue to produce high-quality players over the next decade.
“We are very fortunate that we have got a lot of depth in our ecosystem. And I think, I think in the next five to 10 years, we have a lot of quality players who will take Indian cricket forward. I think we know Vaibhav very well.