ICC announces nominees for T20I Cricketer of the Year: Details
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the nominees for the 2022 Men's T20I Cricketer of the Year award. Indian dasher Suryakumar Yadav, Pakistan wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan, England all-rounder Sam Curran and Zimbabwe all-rounder Sikandar Raza are fighting for the honor. The aforementioned names enjoyed a dream run this year and their numbers speak the same. Let's have a look at their stats.
Record-breaking year for Suryakumar Yadav
Suryakumar was nothing but a nightmare for bowlers in 2022. Having scored 1,164 runs in 31 games, he became the second batter after Rizwan to smash over 1,000 T20I runs in a calendar year. Moreover, he struck at a ferocious rate of 187.43 (100s: 2). SKY, who smashed 68 maximums, also became the first batter to hit 50-plus T20I sixes in a calendar year.
Sikandar Raza showcases his all-round brilliance
Sikandar Raza was at his all-round best this year as he became the first player to score 500 runs and take 25 wickets in T20Is in a calendar year. Overall, he played 24 games, scoring 735 runs and scalping 25 wickets. The off-spinner's economy rate reads 6.13. Meanwhile, the dasher also smashed five fifties, striking at an astonishing rate of 150.92.
Mohammad Rizwan and the art of consistent run-scoring
Though Mohammad Rizwan's strike rate was constantly under the scanner this year, he piled up a plethora of runs. His tally of 996 runs in 25 games is only second to SKY (50s: 10). Rizwan's average and strike rate read 45.27 and 122.96, respectively. He also became the second-fastest batter to complete 2,500 T20I runs, achieving the feat in 65 innings.
Sam Curran guided England to WC's glory
Curran was instrumental in taking England to the ICC T20 World Cup title this year, having scalped 13 wickets in six games at 11.38. He, hence, bagged the Player-of-the-Tournament award. His brilliance in the death overs particularly impressed the cricket world. Overall, he finishes the year with 25 wickets in 19 T20Is at an economy rate of 7.56. The southpaw also smothered 67 runs.
Virat Kohli is a notable omission
India's Virat Kohli is a notable omission in the list, having slammed 781 runs in 20 T20Is at 55.78. His strike rate read 138.23 (50s: 8, 100: 1). Moreover, he finished the T20 WC as the highest run-getter with 296 runs in six games.
