Suryakumar Yadav continued on his sensational form to clatter his second T20I century – both have come in 2022 – and helped India register a thumping victory by 65 runs in the second T20I against New Zealand on Sunday at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui.
Suryakumar plundered 111 not-out runs off 51 balls. The 32-year-old smashed 11 fours and 7 sixes in his thunderous innings to take India’s total to 191 on a pitch that was completely different for other batters of both teams: the rest of the Indian batters scored 69 runs off 69 balls while the New Zealand were bowled out for 126 in 18.5 overs.
Suryakumar Yadav breaks Virat Kohli’s Player of the Match record from 2016 in T20Is
Yadav has deservedly adjudged the Man of the Match for his mind-boggling knock. With this award, Suryakumar Yadav has now surpassed former India captain Virat Kohli for most Man of the Match awards in T20Is for an Indian in a single calendar year.
Kohli bagged 6 Man of the Match awards during his peak year in 2016; today, Suryakumar Yadav received his 7th Man of the Match award in 2022. But Kohli had done it in much fewer games than SKY.
Most man of the match awards for India in a calender year in T20I:
Suryakumar Yadav – 7 (30 innings)
Virat Kohli – 6 (13 innings)— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) November 20, 2022
This is also the joint-most Man of the Match award for a men’s player in T20I. Suryakumar equaled Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza’s tally of 7 who also achieved this feat in his bumper 2022, but in 7 fewer matches than Suryakumar.
Most Player Of The Match Awards in T20is in a calendar year:
Suryakumar Yadav – 7* (2022) (30).
Sikandar Raza – 7 (2022) (23).
Virat Kohli – 6 (2016) (13).— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) November 20, 2022
Suryakumar Yadav came in to bat in the 6th over of India’s innings and in his free-flowing fashion knocked off boundaries regularly, bringing up his half-century in 32 balls. Suryakumar turned on his beast mode then and blasted the Kiwi bowlers to raise his hundred in 49 balls.
Speaking after the game, while receiving his Player of the Match award, Suryakumar Yadav said of his fantastic innings: “The plan was clear when I went into bat. At the 12th/13th over, we thought about batting deep and getting around 170-175 was a par score. Secret (behind his freak shots) is about the intent and you need to enjoy yourself. It’s also about the work you do in the practice sessions. It’s a great feeling coming here, having a full game and going 1-0 in the series feels good. I feel that I didn’t think too much about what was happening. Just had my gameplan and it worked well. Fantastic crowd here.”
