Suryakumar Yadav, the Indian right-handed versatile batsman, became the highest run-scorer in T20 cricket in the year 2022. With his stunning performance in the 3rd T20I match against Australia on Sunday, Yadav has accomplished this feat.
During the T20I match at Hyderabad, Yadav played a hard-hitting knock of 69 runs in just 36 balls that led team India to seal the series over Australia. His astonishing innings were decorated with five amazing boundaries and five big sixes. He struck the ball with a splendid strike rate of 191.67.
Suryakumar Yadav has scored a total of 682 runs this year at an average of 37.88 in 20 matches in the T20 format. Yadav’s individual score this year in the shortest format is 117. He has scored a century and four half-centuries in total. His strike rate is also impressive, 182.84.
Yadav is followed by Nepal’s Dipendra Singh Airee (626), Sabawoon Davizi of the Czech Republic (612), Pakistan star batter Mohammad Rizwan, and Nicholas Pooran (553) the West Indies skipper.
Yadav has been a consistent player throughout this year and he is ranked No.3 in the ICC Men’s T20I Rankings for batters behind Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan and South Africa’s Aiden Markram.
The former captain Virat Kohli also complimented Yadav for his amazing knock in the game at Hyderabad. At the post-match presentation, Kohli said, “Surya was batting really well, he has the game to bat under any condition, he batted beautifully in the Asia Cup. He’s striking the ball well, this is the best I have seen him for the past 6 months or so. He’s got the gift of timing and I was in awe watching him play his shots”.
Yadav has been labelled by many as India’s best T20I batter. It is not just in the Asia Cup 2022 where Suryakumar showcased his ability to bat at 360 degrees. He has been doing this since his debut in 2021. He has played a total of 23 innings so far in his career and from that he has compiled 758 runs at an average of 39.89 with a strike rate of 177.51.
In terms of average, only Virat Kohli is ahead of Yadav since his debut. But in the case of the strike rate, no one beats Yadav. Kohli and Sharma are tied with him in terms of T20I fifties. Yadav is the only Indian to have scored more than 500 runs this year. At present, Suryakumar Yadav is India’s finest and most consistent player in T20I who will surely play a major role in the 2022 T20I World Cup.
Team India also got a ranking boost along with Yadav
Team India’s six-wicket win over Australia improved their ranking by one point to 268 overall points in the latest Men’s T20I team rankings. It was Suryakumar Yadav and Virat Kohli’s half-centuries that led team India to secure a series win over Australia to boost their ranking points. Now India has a seven-point lead over their closest rival England which has 261 points in the T20 ranking.
But it was England’s narrow loss in the fourth game of the ongoing 7-match series against Pakistan that helped India increase their ranking. Pakistan is currently staying in 3rd place along with South Africa with 258 points. If Pakistan continues their winning for the remaining 3 matches against England, they will raise their points to go for the second position.
Meanwhile, if South Africa wins over India in the series, both England and South Africa can raise their points.
The series victory over Australia also marked India’s 21st T20I win in the same calendar year. It is the most ever recorded win by a team in men’s T20Is. The record was earlier held by Pakistan with 20 T20I wins in 2021.
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