Suryakumar Yadav surpasses Pakistan’s star to set a new T20I record. Yadav hit three sixes in the first T20I against South Africa, bringing his tally for the year to 45.
Suryakumar Yadav will be unstoppable in the shortest format of the game in 2022, as he has now become the batter with the most sixes in a calendar year. He achieved this milestone in Kerala during India’s first T20I of a three-match series against South Africa. During the match, chasing a low score of 107 on a tricky pitch with plenty of swing and bounce, the wristy right-hander looked head and shoulders above everyone, as if batting on a different surface.
He smashed an unbeaten 50 off 33 balls, including five fours and three sixes. Suryakumar hit the ball at a rate of 151.52 on a pitch where even a strike rate of 100 was difficult.
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The three sixes brought his total to 45 in 2022.
With this, he has surpassed Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan, who hit 42 sixes in 2021 and previously held the record. Martin Guptill of New Zealand is third with 41 sixes in 2021. Suryakumar has broken Rizwan’s record in just 21 innings, while Rizwan took 26 innings to hit his 42 sixes.
In terms of the match, India now leads the series 1-0.
South Africa was put in to bat first by India, and their start was so bad that even nightmarish would be an understatement. Deepak Chahar and Arshdeep Singh’s incredible swing saw the Proteas lose half of their team for just nine runs in less than three overs.
Fighting knocks from Keshav Maharaj (41) and Aiden Markram (25) helped the Proteas save face and post 106/8 in 20 overs.
Chahar (2/24) and Arshdeep (3/32) bowled brilliant four-over spells to demolish South Africa’s top order. Harshal Patel (2/26) and Axar Patel (1/16) both wowed the audience with their spells.
India, chasing 107, got off to a shaky start, losing Rohit Sharma (0) and Virat Kohli (3) cheaply to Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje.
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