Suryakumar Yadav scored 51 ball 111©AFP
Suryakumar Yadav, arguably the best T20 batsman in the world right now, recorded a stunning 111-run batting against New Zealand in the second T20I of the 3-match series on Sunday. Suryakumar looked his best, scoring the triple digit mark in just 49 balls. The batter was deservedly named Player of the Game for his heroics. In the process, he also surpassed Virat Kohli to achieve a unique feat in the game’s shortest format.
It was the 7th time in the history of T20 cricket that Suryakumar was named Player of the Match for India in a single calendar year. With this honour, Surya passed Kohli, who has a total of six Player of the Match awards to his name in a single calendar year.
In international cricket, only Sikandar Raza has had as many Player of the Match honors as Suryakumar Yadav (7) in a calendar year. Surya would have a chance to top Raza’s tally in the third and final T20I of the series against the Kiwis on Tuesday.
Talking about his performance in the match, Surya said the plan for him and the team was to take the game deep.
“The plan was clear when I started. On the 12th/13th over we thought about hitting deep and getting around 170-175 was a par score. Secret (behind his freakshots) is about intent and you have to enjoy yourself. It’s also about the work you do in the practice sessions. It’s a great feeling to come here, play a full game and go 1-0 in the series feels good. I feel like I didn’t think too much about what happened. I just had my game plan and it worked well. Fantastic crowd here,” he said during the presentation ceremony after the game.
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In the end, Surya remained unbeaten on 111 from 51 balls.
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