Suryakumar Yadav in the shortest format of the game in 2022 is unstoppable as he is now the batter with the highest number of sixes in a calendar year. He reached this milestone in India’s first T20I in a three-game series against South Africa in Kerala. During the game, chasing a low score of 107 on a tricky field with swing and plenty of bounce, the wristy righthander looked mostly head and shoulders, as if hitting another surface.
He hit an unbeaten 50 from just 33 balls, a stroke consisting of five fours and three sixes. On a field where even hitting a 100 stroke rate was difficult, Suryakumar hit the ball at a speed of 151.52.
The three sixes brought his total to 45 sixes in 2022.
With this, he has passed Pakistani Mohammad Rizwan, who had hit 42 sixes in 2021 and previously held the record. New Zealand veteran Martin Guptill is third with 41 sixes in 2021. Interestingly enough, Rizwan took 26 innings to hit his 42 sixes, but Suryakumar has broken his record in just 21 innings.
Coming to the game, with this win, India leads the series 1-0.
South Africa, ranked first by India, had such a bad start that even nightmares would be an understatement. The unreal swing generated by Deepak Chahar and Arshdeep Singh saw the Proteas lose half of their team for just nine runs in under three overs.
However, fighting punches from Keshav Maharaj (41), Aiden Markram (25) and Wayne Parnell (24) helped Proteas save face and score 106/8 in 20 overs.
Chahar (2/24) and Arshdeep (3/32) delivered brilliant four-over spells for India and destroyed South Africa’s top order. Harshal Patel (2/26) and Axar Patel (1/16) also impressed with their spells.
In the chase of 107, India got off to a slow start and Rohit Sharma (0) and Virat Kohli (3) lost cheaply to Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje.
promoted
India was 17/2 in their six overs after the power play. KL Rahul (51*) and in-form Suryakumar Yadav (50*) took the lead, Rahul anchored and Suryakumar was the aggressor. Both snagged a match-winning 93-run score to help India clinch an eight-wicket victory.
Arshdeep Singh won the ‘Man of the Match’ award for his brilliant spell.
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