Setting aside discussions about his recent form, Suryakumar Yadav showcased a match-winning performance for the Indian cricket team in the third T20I against the West Indies. His remarkable innings of 83 runs off 44 balls significantly contributed to India’s victory, revitalizing their chances of clinching the 5-match series. Suryakumar’s stellar batting also marked a milestone, as he became the quickest Indian to hit 100 sixes in T20I cricket during this innings.
During the chase for 160 runs, Suryakumar displayed his classic style by smashing 10 fours and four sixes, achieving a strike rate of over 188. He reached the remarkable feat of 100 T20I sixes in just 49 innings, overtaking fellow West Indies player Evin Lewis as the fastest to accomplish this milestone.
Additionally, Suryakumar surpassed Shikhar Dhawan to become India’s fourth-highest run-scorer in T20I cricket. Across 51 T20Is and 49 innings, he has accumulated 1,780 runs with an impressive average of 45.64, including three centuries and 14 half-centuries. His highest score stands at 117, and his runs have been scored at a remarkable strike rate exceeding 174.
The list of Indians with the most sixes in T20Is is as follows:
- Rohit Sharma: 182 sixes (140 innings)
- Virat Kohli: 117 sixes (107 innings)
- Suryakumar Yadav: 101* sixes (49 innings)
- KL Rahul: 99 sixes (68 innings)
- Yuvraj Singh: 74 sixes (51 innings)
- Hardik Pandya: 68 sixes (70 innings)
- Suresh Raina: 58 sixes (66 innings)
- MS Dhoni: 52 sixes (85 innings)
- Shikhar Dhawan: 50 sixes (66 innings)
Players ahead of Suryakumar include KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli, who have achieved significant milestones in their T20I careers.
Suryakumar’s outstanding performance earned him the “Player of the Match” award, which marked his 12th such award in 51 T20Is. This achievement ties him with Rohit Sharma and places him second only to Virat Kohli, who has 15 “Player of the Match” awards.
With this victory, India has narrowed the series margin to 2-1, leaving two more matches to determine the final outcome.
