Vaibhav Sooryavanshi again did what he does best – have fun with the stick.
The teenage sensation smashed a brilliant 81 off 49 balls to lead India to a 35-run win over Zimbabwe in the third T20I in Harare on Sunday, completing a 3-0 series sweep for the visitors.
Sooryavanshi’s impressive performance capped a memorable series in which he scored 151 runs in three matches and won his first Man of the Series award.
It was Hugeeeee by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi pic.twitter.com/Y8pxze9nyg
— TheFakeFakeer (@TheFakeFakeer) July 26, 2026
The 15-year-old’s exploits in Zimbabwe came after a stunning campaign at the ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup earlier this year, where he underlined his immense potential by scoring 439 runs to be named the Player of the Tournament.
The fearless left-hander has continued to offer glimpses of a bright future with his aggressive batting, confidence and maturity well beyond his years.
Stand-in India coach VVS Laxman believes the teenager’s development remains on track and is progressing as expected.
“It (his career) has been on expected lines,” Laxman said, according to the ICC website.
“Even last year when he played for Rajasthan Royals for the first time, the way he handled the pressure was impressive. I believe every IPL match is equal to an international match. At the age of 14 or 15, when you play in the IPL, you can either be terrified of the occasion or embrace the pressure. I think he chose the second option,” he added.
Laxman said he was not surprised by Sooryavanshi’s impressive run, citing the youngster’s talent, attitude and mentality as the main factors behind his rapid progress.
The former India player also backed Sooryavanshi to enjoy a long and successful international career, suggesting that he has the potential to rewrite the record books.
“So I’m not surprised by the way this series has gone. He was disappointed he didn’t get a hundred, but we told him it won’t be the first or the last chance he’ll get. He’s got a long career ahead of him and he’s got the attitude and mentality to improve every day. I’m sure he’ll improve and break all the records at international level,” he said.
