India’s interim head coach VVS Laxman said 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has shown remarkable growth in his understanding of the game over the last six months, adding that the teenager’s maturity has helped him handle pressure at the international level.Sooryavanshi finished India’s tour of Zimbabwe on a high, winning both the Player of the Match and Player of the Series awards after India completed a 3-0 sweep with a 35-run win in the third and final T20I on Sunday.“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 has actually skyrocketed. And that’s why he’s been able to handle tough situations,” Laxman said during the post-match press conference.The left-hander scored 151 runs in three innings at an average of 50.33, including 81 in the final match, which laid the platform for India’s victory.His performances came after a difficult debut series against England, where he managed scores of 13, 14 and 15 before being dropped for the fifth and final T20I as India lost the series 0-4.“He played Under-19 World Cup and in a matter of four to five months, he dominated the IPL. We know how tough IPL competition can be.“Taking on the best of bowlers from not only India but around the world, the way he evolved, the way he progressed as an international cricketer and he showed what kind of potential and class and talent he has,” said Laxman, who is serving as the interim head coach while Gautam Gambhir is on a break before India’s two-Test tour of Sri Lanka next month.Laxman also highlighted Sooryavanshi’s desire to improve, recalling how the youngster wanted to stay on the field despite suffering an injury during the final T20I.“We have to also remember that he’s just 15 years old. He’s a very young boy. And he himself wants to get better in every aspect of the game. And if you see it, 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 do and contribute in every possible way to the team,” said Laxman.When asked if he expected Sooryavanshi to recover so strongly after his difficult start in England, Laxman said he was not surprised because the youngster had already shown he could deal with pressure during the IPL.“It (performance) was on expected lines. Again, last year when he played for Rajasthan Royals for the first time, I think the way he handled pressure, because I believe that any IPL match is equivalent to an international match.“And at the age of 14 or 15, when you’re playing an IPL match, either you can be overawed by the big occasion or absorb and embrace the pressure. And I think he’s taken the second option where he embraced the pressure. So, I’m not at all surprised the way this series has gone,” said Laxman.
