VVS Laxman hailed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's "very mature" knock in the third T20I against Zimbabwe, saying the teenager's ability to learn from every experience has fuelled his rapid rise, and backed him to "break all the records" in international cricket.

The 15-year-old top-scored with a 49-ball 81 as India posted 192 for 5 on a sluggish surface, following up his fifty in the first game after enduring a lean tour of England. Laxman, India's head coach for the Zimbabwe series, said the innings underlined Sooryavanshi's growing maturity.

"Very mature. And that's what I really appreciate about Vaibhav," Laxman said. "With each and every experience, each and every match, he understands, he assesses and he gets better. I think he does a lot of review of each and every practice session, not only matches.

"Today what you saw was a mature innings because it was a difficult wicket. The ball was stopping and coming, the wicket was slow. I thought the Zimbabweans bowled well and had a plan for him. He countered that plan and it was a very, very mature knock from Vaibhav."

Laxman said Sooryavanshi's twin fifties in the series were no surprise, pointing to the composure he had shown during his breakthrough IPL campaign with Rajasthan Royals.

"It was on expected lines," Laxman said. "Last year when he played for Rajasthan Royals for the first time, the way he handled pressure... I believe that any IPL match is equivalent to an international match. 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. I think he's taken the second option where he embraced the pressure. So I'm not at all surprised [by] the way this series has gone."

Laxman revealed that Sooryavanshi was disappointed after missing out on a maiden international century, but said the team reminded him to keep the bigger picture in mind. "He was disappointed not to get 100. But we mentioned to him that it's not going to be the first time or the last time he'll get an opportunity to score 100. He's got a long career. He's got the attitude and the mindset to get better each and every day. And I'm sure that he will just progress and break all the records at the international level. He's got all the potential and the ability to do that."

Laxman, the head of BCCI's Centre of Excellence, also reflected on Sooryavanshi's rapid progression - from excelling at the Under-19 level to dominating the IPL within months. "If you see someone like Vaibhav, he just played the 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 bowlers from not only India but around the world, the way he evolved, the way he progressed as an international cricketer showed what kind of potential, class and talent he has.

"I think we are very fortunate that we have got a lot of depth in our ecosystem. For the next five to 10 years, we've got a lot of quality players who will take Indian cricket forward."

Having worked closely with Sooryavanshi for more than two years, Laxman said the Centre of Excellence has witnessed first-hand the teenager's remarkable development. "We know Vaibhav very well. It was about two and a half years ago that we first identified him, just before the 2024 Under-19 World Cup. He was part of the quadrangular series in Vijayawada and was one of the top scorers for India B. Since then, he has been in various camps at the CoE and then he was the highest run-getter in the Under-19 World Cup. So we know him in and out.

"It's not only the player, but we also know the person. When you know the person, you understand what works for him and how we prepare him so that he's in the best frame of mind when he goes into a match. He knows his game."

While insisting only "minute adjustments" were needed technically, Laxman said Sooryavanshi's biggest growth had come away from the crease. "As I tell not only Vaibhav but anyone, it's just about minute adjustments as far as the skill is concerned. But 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. That's why he's been able to handle tough situations and perform under pressure against the best players."

Laxman added that fitness remained an area the teenager could improve, while highlighting his commitment to the team. "One of the areas which we want him to get better at is his overall fitness. 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. If you saw today's game, even after he got injured, he still wanted to be on the field. It was our physio who actually asked him to come out. That's the eagerness and the earnestness he has to contribute in every possible way to the team."