Sooryavanshi amassed 151 runs in three T20Is against Zimbabwe.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi starred with the bat by scoring 81 runs off 49 balls, leading India to a 35-run victory and a 3-0 T20I series sweep against Zimbabwe in Harare on Sunday (July 26).
The 15-year-old opener bagged the Player-of-the-Match accolade in the third T20I. His 151 total runs across the tour also earned him the Player-of-the-Series award.
This performance came after Sooryavanshi failed to make a mark in his debut T20I series against England earlier this month, registering scores of 14, 13 and 15 before being benched. No wonder, the teenager was over the moon after his stunning exploits in Zimbabwe.
“To be the Player-of-the-Match and Player-of-the-Series playing for the senior Indian team, that dream of mine has come true and I am extremely happy. I also want to thank everyone who has supported me throughout my journey,” Sooryavanshi said in a video shared by the BCCI on social media.
He credited interim head coach VVS Laxman and batting coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar for giving him complete freedom and sound guidance.
“Everyone is so helpful, the seniors as well as the coaching staff. The way our head coach VVS Sir and Hrishi Sir spoke to me before the matches, discussing how I was feeling right before the match and the series started, checking in on my mindset. They gave me a complete free hand, telling me to just play freely without overthinking anything,” Sooryavanshi added.
The young prodigy noted that the senior players—highlighting his strong bond and shared vibe with fellow Bihar batter Ishan Kishan—ensured he never felt out of place or isolated upon transitioning to the senior international circuit.
“And with the seniors around me, I never felt lonely or out of place coming into the senior team. It feels just like playing regular matches anywhere else. Plus, seniors like Ishan bhaiya are also from our home state of Bihar, so our vibe matches really well,” he concluded.