India’s ‘Best Attitude Award’ winners during Zimbabwe T20I series: Full list and why stand-in coach VVS Laxman introduced it originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• VVS Laxman introduces ‘Best Attitude Award’ during the Zimbabwe T20I series.

• Award recognises effort, commitment beyond just skill or stats.

• Tilak Varma wins inaugural medal for on- and off-field intensity.

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VVS Laxman’s ‘Best Attitude Award’ shifts focus beyond runs and wickets

Interim India coach VVS Laxman has rolled out a fresh initiative during the ongoing T20I series against Zimbabwe, introducing what he’s calling the ‘Best Attitude Award’ to recognise players for qualities that don’t always show up on a scorecard.

India’s dominant seven-wicket win in the series opener gave Shreyas Iyer his first taste of victory as captain, following a rough patch that saw the side lose six consecutive matches, two against Ireland and four against England. With regular head coach Gautam Gambhir stepping away for a short break, the BCCI handed temporary charge of the squad to Laxman for this Zimbabwe assignment.

Rather than treating his brief stint as a placeholder role, the former India batter chose to use the opportunity to introduce something new, aimed squarely at building a healthier, more positive environment within the dressing room.

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Laxman said the coaching staff wanted to reward more than just standout moments in the field or eye-catching batting and bowling performances across the three-game series.

“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 in a video posted by BCCI on X (formerly Twitter).

MORE: ‘Crush his confidence’: Srikkanth slams Gambhir’s treatment of Sooryavanshi

(Getty)

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LIST: Winners of the ‘Best Attitude Award’ 

To determine who would take home the inaugural medal, Laxman brought in Strength and Conditioning Coach Harsha and Performance Coach Joy to weigh in with their observations from the match. Between them, they settled on middle-order batter Tilak Varma as the deserving winner.

What did the winners say?

After receiving the award, Tilak said: “I always try to give the team my best. Whatever I do off the field helps me on it.”

MORE: Uthappa blames Babar’s batting slump due to lack of Kohli-like mental strength

A small gesture with a grand value

Introducing an award built around attitude rather than statistics might sound like a minor gimmick on the surface, but for a young squad still finding its footing after a string of losses, gestures like this can matter more than they appear to.

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International cricket has a habit of boiling players down to bare numbers like runs, wickets, catches, while the hours of unseen graft that actually shape those numbers rarely get a mention.

Picking out someone like Tilak Varma for showing up and grinding hard, rather than for one flashy knock, tells the rest of the squad something worth hearing: putting in the work counts just as much as the highlight-reel moments. Nobody knows yet if this idea sticks around once Laxman hands the reins back, but for the short time he’s had with this group, it’s a small touch that shows real thought.

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