Asia Cup 2022: Suryakumar Yadav scales a rare Indian T20I record

Suryakumar Yadav in Asia Cup 2022 (PC: Twitter)

Indian batsman Suryakumar Yadav compiled 34 against Sri Lanka in match number nine of the ongoing Asia Cup 2022. The cricketer formed a 97-run third-wicket stand with captain Rohit Sharma, to take his side past the 100-run mark.

Yadav struck one boundary and a six during his 29-ball stay at the crease, and was the second highest scorer behind Sharma’s 72 for the ‘Men in Blue’. Notably, the six he struck off Dilshan Madushanka has now helped him scale a new height in Indian T20I history.

Suryakumar Yadav overtakes Sharma, Dhawan for a rare Indian record

The 31-year-old made his international debut last year with a T20I against England. So far, he has represented the national side in 26 T20I matches and is one of the prime contenders to take flight for Australia for next month’s T20 World Cup.

The right-hander has been in tremendous batting form this year. Apart from registering his maiden international ton in England a couple of months ago, the hard-hitting batter has struck 32 T20I sixes in the ongoing calendar year itself.

Interestingly, his 2022 sixes tally has now taken him past Rohit Sharma in terms of most sixes hit by Indian batters in a single calendar year. Sharma had charted 31 maximums back in 2018, a year when Shikhar Dhawan also struck 25 to be placed at number three.

Virat Kohli’s 23 T20I sixes in 2019 stands as the fourth most T20I maximums by an Indian in any single year.

Yadav now has the opportunity to extend his record, considering the notable number of India’s upcoming fixtures. Following the ongoing Asia Cup, the Indian team will host Australia and South Africa in six T20Is, only to fly Down Under for the showpiece event immediately thereafter.

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