Looking to instil a stronger team culture during his interim stint as head coach, VVS Laxman has introduced a ‘Best Attitude Award’ for the Indian dressing room in Zimbabwe. The initiative comes right as India ended a frustrating seven-match winless streak in T20Is, signaling a shift toward valuing effort, mindset, and day-to-day discipline alongside runs and wickets.
Middle-order batter Tilak Varma took home the inaugural medal after the series opener. On paper, his numbers were modest: a catch, a boundary, and the winning run. But the management intentionally designed the award to reward the subtle details that standard scorecards often miss.
Explaining the idea, Laxman made it clear that character on the field carries just as much weight as raw technique.
“Attitude is equivalent to skill. What we thought as a team management, in this series over the three matches, we are going to reward is not only the fielding, not only the individual brilliance in bowling and batting. But, the attitude aspect is also something we are going to reward,” Laxman said.
Rather than choosing the winner himself, Laxman handed the responsibility to the support staff, leaving Strength and Conditioning Coach Harsha and Performance Coach Joy to make the call.
Singling out Tilak’s relentless work ethic during training, Harsha commended the 23-year-old’s commitment at the post-match presentation.
“This one guy not only pushed himself off the field, but he also pushed himself on the field. Even when things were not to be done so intensely, he is there doing it really intense,” Harsha noted.
Tilak was presented with the medal in front of the team and kept his response simple when accepting the nod.
“I always try to give the team my best. Whatever I do off the field helps me on it,” Tilak said.
On the pitch, India kicked off the three-match T20I tour with a comfortable seven-wicket win over Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club on July 23. Electing to field, India’s pacers struck early, spearheaded by a returning Mayank Yadav, who took two wickets to help keep Zimbabwe to 125/7. Wessly Madhevere offered some resistance with 39, but disciplined spells from Prince Yadav (2/19) and Ravi Bishnoi (1/24) kept the home side from mounting any sustained momentum.
India made quick work of the 126-run target, wrapping up the chase in 13.2 overs. 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi lit up the evening with a 19-ball 50-becoming the youngest player to score a T20I half-century-before Ishan Kishan (35) and captain Shreyas Iyer (28*) steered the side home. Tilak Varma pushed the final single to seal the win, ending India’s recent slump and taking a 1-0
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