Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Warned By Indian Head Coach To Improve This Aspect

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi urged to improve one area in his game [Source: AP]

India's young batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi enjoyed stellar success in the T20I series against Zimbabwe. Sooryavanshi, who registered three consecutive failures on the UK tour, bounced back in Zimbabwe, slamming 151 runs with the help of two blistering fifties across three outings. 

However, despite finishing the Zimbabwe tour as the most successful batter, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi received a piece of advice from VVS Laxman, India's head coach for the Zimbabwe tour, regarding one particular area of improvement. 

VVS Laxman reveals one area that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi must work on

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been in the limelight for a couple of years, courtesy of his scintillating hitting at the junior level. Known for his ability to smash towering sixes at will, Sooryavanshi earned his maiden T20I call-up for the Ireland and England tours following an extraordinary IPL 2026 campaign. 

Although the 15-year-old batter couldn't live up to the hype in England, Sooryavanshi took little time to showcase his mettle in international cricket. 

Sooryavanshi translated his immense potential into numbers in the Zimbabwe T20Is, racking up two flamboyant fifties and playing a pivotal role in India's series win. 

After the Shreyas Iyer-led Indian team whitewashed Zimbabwe for the very first time in a three-match T20I series, Sooryavanshi earned massive praise from VVS Laxman, who served as the stand-in head coach for this particular tour in the absence of Gautam Gambhir. 

While VVS Laxman lauded Sooryavanshi for his maturity, game awareness and consistency in Zimbabwe, the 15-year-old also received advice from the legendary cricketer to work on his overall fitness. 

Speaking at the post-match press conference, VVS Laxman reckoned Vaibhav Sooryavanshi should work on his overall fitness to boost his performance and remain a valuable asset for the Indian team in the long run. 

"The one area we want him to improve is his overall fitness. He's a very young boy. He himself wants to get better in every aspect of the game. Even today, when he got injured [while attempting a diving catch running in from deep square leg], he still wanted to stay on the field. It was our physio who asked him to come off. That's the eagerness and earnestness he has to contribute in every possible way to the team," VVS Laxman commented on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. 

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Why should Vaibhav Sooryavanshi prioritise fitness?

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi can clear fences with sheer power and aggressive intent. His bat swing, ability to play shots all around the park, and modify his approach according to the match situation make him a potent top-order player in T20 cricket. 

However, his talent will be of no use if Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's career gets derailed by fitness setbacks. The demanding schedule of the IPL and Indian cricketing calendar will pretty much make sure he remains in action almost throughout the year. 

Also, given how Sooryavanshi has performed in List-A cricket, the BCCI selection committee might fast-track him into the longer formats, particularly ODIs. 

The 50-over format is completely different from T20s and requires more stamina and endurance for players to succeed. So, if Sooryavanshi doesn't improve his fitness, we may see his career take a downward trend after a promising start. 

Several prominent cricketers like Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and Nitish Kumar Reddy have been in and out of the Indian team due to fitness concerns. Therefore, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi should prioritise physical fitness if he wants to represent India for a considerable period of time. 

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi should be inspired by Virat Kohli

Former Indian captain Virat Kohli is probably the biggest example of how fitness scripts success stories in cricket. Although he was also a promising talent at the onset of his career, Virat Kohli dedicatedly improved his fitness standards, setting an example for his own teammates. 

As a result, Kohli can still convert the ones into twos and remains fit enough to play as India's number three batter in the ODI format. 

Although Sooryavanshi can hammer a long ball at 15, it might become a daunting task for him to play big shots when he turns 30. Therefore, like every other cricketer, he will have to adapt, and things will become a lot easier for the youngster if he idolises Virat Kohli and starts working on his fitness, following VVS Laxman's advice. 

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