Top Five Suryakumar Yadav T20I Innings
Suryakumar Yadav celebrating his fourth T20I century (AP)
Suryakumar Yadav, the epitome of dynamic batting prowess and unconventional stroke-play, has illuminated the T20I circuit with unreal consistency and a sequence of extraordinary performances. His unorthodox 360-degree range of shots has redefined the art of batting, prompting some hardcore T20 enthusiasts to even compare him with the likes of AB de Villiers.
In a remarkably short span since his T20I debut, he has emerged as a stalwart for Team India, showcasing unparalleled consistency with the willow regardless of playing conditions and match situation. Under two years, Suryakumar’s meteoric rise has culminated in his attainment of the number one ranking on the ICC T20I batting charts. Even to this day, he continues to hold the numero uno status in ICC’s elite rankings.
The cricketer, who sporadically leads the Indian team, has already unfurled a number of remarkable match-winning batting recitals for his country. Here at OneCricket, we take a look at five of his most scintillating T20I innings to date, featuring his latest century against South Africa in Johannesburg.
Top 5 Suryakumar Yadav Innings in T20Is:
1. 117 (55) vs England, 2022
Suryakumar Yadav’s splendid run with the bat in T20Is earned him India’s white-ball tickets for their England tour in mid-2022. The cricketer took field in the third game, where he was tasked to chase down a monumental 216-run target for his team’s 3-0 series sweep.
Team India slumped to 31-3 early, before Suryakumar bludgeoned 14 boundaries and six sixes to make a fight out of an improbable run-chase in Nottingham against the hosts. The right-hander went on to belt 117 from just 55 balls, and kept the chase alive until the penultimate over of the match by the time of his dismissal to Moeen Ali.
However, lack of assistance from the other end ensured that Team India fell short of their target by 17 runs, thus tendering his whirlwind ton in vain. Regardless, the innings remains the magnum opus performance of his rich T20I profile.
2. 111* (51) vs New Zealand, 2022
During one of the T20Is from India’s November 2022 tour of New Zealand, Suryakumar Yadav flogged hosts with another batting masterclass, this time making an unbeaten 111 from just 51 balls at Mount Maunganui.
The right-hander launched seven sixes in his innings, and blasted 11 additional boundaries to catapult the Indian total to 191-6 from their 20 overs. The batting marauder took a special liking to Lockie Ferguson, as he accumulated 22 runs off the speedster’s final six deliveries of the match.
Suryakumar’s innings turned out to be match-defining one, considering the ‘Men in Blue’ prevailed in the contest by 65 runs to take an early lead in their three-match series.
3. 68 (40) vs South Africa, 2022 T20 World Cup
Suryakumar Yadav with Dinesh Karthik against SA (x.com)
With Team India losing half their side for just 49 at Perth during their 2022 T20 World Cup showdown against South Africa, Suryakumar Yadav proved that he is the man for big occasions by taking his team to a respectable 133 by the end of their 20 overs.
The 20-overs batting veteran produced six boundaries and three sixes during his calculated assault and amounted more than half of his side’s total with his 40-ball 68. No other batter in the Indian line-up managed to outscore captain Rohit Sharma’s mere 15 as Yadav single-handedly took a charged-up Proteas attack to the cleaners with his tactical approach.
Unfortunately for the cricketer, his team ended up on the losing side in a tense evening courtesy of David Miller’s run-chase masterclass.
4. 100 (56) vs South Africa, 2023
Suryakumar Yadav took flight to South Africa in December 2023, this time as the captain of the Indian T20I team. In a must-win series-deciding third match against the hosts in Johannesburg, the 20-overs legend overcame India’s powerplay setbacks with a sequence of extraordinary sixes. He bludgeoned eight maximums in all, to go along with his seven boundaries to take his side to a monumental 201-run total upfront.
Yadav raced to his century in just 55 deliveries, thus marking the fourth T20I ton of his career to level up with world-record holders Rohit Sharma and Glenn Maxwell. His batting hurricane also ensured Team India secured a 106-run win to draw the series in the decider.
5. 112* (51) vs Sri Lanka, 2023
Suryakumar Yadav in action against Sri Lanka in January 2023 (AP)
Suryakumar Yadav celebrated his New Year in January 2023 with a magnificent match-winning ton against Sri Lanka at Rajkot. Emboldened by Shubman Gill and Rahul Tripathi’s batting bombardment at the top, the cricketer unleashed his own fury upon arriving to the crease at the brink of the opening powerplay.
The middle-order star flayed Sri Lanka’s struggling bowling attack in the backend of their series-decider with seven elegant boundaries and nine scorching sixes. He eventually finished at an unbeaten 112 from just 51 balls to turbo-charge the Indian total to a colossal 228-5 by the end of their 20 overs.
The total turned out to be 91 runs better than the best run-chase efforts from Sri Lanka, as India sealed the series 2-1 with Yadav bagging the much-deserving ‘Player of the Match’ award.
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