Suryakumar slams seventh T20I fifty, draws praise from Rohit, Virat
India's T20I ace Suryakumar Yadav lit up Hyderabad with a 36-ball 69 against Australia on Sunday. The knock piloted Rohit Sharma's men to a six-wicket win in the 187-run chase. SKY clocked his seventh T20I fifty. He's now the highest run-getter in T20Is in matches played this year. Here's what Rohit and Virat Kohli had to say about the Mumbaikar post the 2-1 triumph.
Suryakumar was exceptional, says Rohit
"He [SKY] can play shots all over the ground and that is what makes him special. He has been really consistent with the bat," said Rohit in the post-match conference. "Today he was exceptional. We were two down in the powerplay. To come out and play like he played to take the game away from the opposition was great," he added.
'Surya was batting that well'
"When Surya started hitting it like that, I kind of looked at the dugout as well and Rohit [Sharma] and Rahul [Dravid] both told me, 'you can just keep batting on' because Surya [Suryakumar]was striking it that well," said Kohli.
SKY has dominated the scenes in T20Is (2022)
SKY's rip-roaring show saw him surpass Nepal's Dipendra Singh Airee (626) and become the highest run-getter in T20Is this year. The 360-degree batter owns 682 runs in 20 innings while striking at a mouth-dropping rate of 182.84. He averages 37.88. Notably, he has struck a hundred and four fifties. On the boundary front, SKY has belted 58 fours and 42 sixes.
SKY replaces Babar in ICC Rankings, moves to 3rd spot
SKY's 25-ball 46 in the first T20I against Australia saw him replace Pakistan's Babar Azam in the ICC Men's T20I Batting Rankings. The Mumbai Run Machine is presently occupying the third spot with a rating of 780, with Babar (771) following suit. Notably, Suryakumar had risen to the number two spot during the West Indies T20Is last month.
Decoding Suryakumar's T20I career
Suryakumar forayed into the T20Is last year, debuting in the five-match series against England in Ahmedabad. Ever since the 32-year-old hard-hitter has accumulated 926 runs across 31 matches. He averages 37.04, striking at an enthralling rate of 174.71. At home, SKY has whacked 374 runs at 37.40 (50s: 4). Meanwhile, he has hoarded 347 and 205 runs at away and neutral venues respectively.
A historic century for SKY
In July, Suryakumar slammed his maiden international ton in the third T20I against England. He scored a 55-ball 117, becoming the fifth Indian batter to slam a T20I century. Later, Kohli joined him among others (Rohit, KL Rahul, Suresh Raina, and Deepak Hooda). SKY is also the third Indian to score a century versus England in T20Is after Rohit and Rahul.
Suryakumar attained this feat
Suryakumar's 117 is the highest individual score in T20Is by a player batting at number four or below from a Full Member nation. He broke the record of Australia's Glenn Maxwell, who slammed 113* against India in 2019 (Bengaluru).
Is SKY India's trump card for the T20 World Cup?
The coveted ICC T20 World Cup is less than a month's wait. SKY, who plays T20 as they should, could be a spectacle Down Under. He has all the shots in his arsenal. Plus, he isn't susceptible to the pace and bounce offered. Team India will bank on a batting masterclass from SKY, given his competence and form in the format.
