Suryakumar Yadav: India’s own ‘Mr 360’ fastest to reach 1000 T20I runs in terms of no of balls (573)

ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022: Suryakumar Yadav strikes ball in T20Is at 176.81 and averages 38.70. Suryakumar Yadav is the fastest batter to score 1000 T20I runs in terms of no of balls (573).

Suryakumar Yadav strikes ball at 176.81 in T20I (Photo: ©Getty Images)

Suryakumar Yadav is undoubtedly one of the best batters, if not the best T20I batter in the cricketing world as on date. The right-hander has nicely carved a niche for himself and is aptly called Mr 360, a label which till now has been reserved for the great AB de Villiers, and earned himself the tag of being one of the most dangerous batters going around.

In matches where he gets good starts, rarely does one see Surya struggle to score at a fair clip. His career strike of 176.81 from 32 innings is a testament to that statement, and he is also the fastest to the 1000-run mark in T20Is in terms of number of balls faced (573). He is the second-fastest to reach 1000 runs in T20Is in terms of number of innings after Czech Republic southpaw Sabawoon Davizi.

Staggering as these achievements sound, it didn’t come easy for SKY as he is commonly referred to as. The 32-year-old batter from Mumbai had to wait for a considerable amount of time before getting a call-up to the national team. He has put in the hard yards in Indian Premier League (IPL) and toiled in domestic circuit for Mumbai all these years before making his India debut in March 2021 in a T20I game against England. His first shot was a six off Jofra Archer, and since then there was no looking back for Surya as far his international T20I career is concerned.

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Surya scored 115 runs from three innings against Australia (Photo: ©ICC/Getty Images)

Man for all occasions when it comes to T20Is

Surya’s biggest strength is his ability to bat combatively in any situation his team is faced with. Though now coming at his preferred position of number 4 (he has scored 603 runs at an average of 43 and striking at 186 at this position), he has also been slotted as an opener in the T20I series against West Indies in the Caribbean islands and to his credit, he played a few useful knocks at numbers 3 and 5 as well. The good thing is, SKY has always looked in control in any role assigned to him by the team management.

The unique quality of Suryakumar Yadav which has the viewers in awe of him is his positive approach towards the game. In his brief career thus far, SKY has shown that he has immense faith in his own ability and always backs himself to go after the bowling, playing some of the most outrageous shots that one can ever imagine.

It is this attitude that has brought Surya all his success apart from the great talent he possesses. He has a sense of confidence that is unmatched, and one say with some confidence that he is probably the only batter who can stake a claim to bear resemblance to the batting genius of AB de Villiers. The 32-year-old has all shots in the book and is one of the fiercest, yet classiest hitters of the cricket ball one will ever come across. His presence at the batting crease is a morale booster for the team as well for his partner at the other end.

For instance, his recent knock against South Africa in Thiruvananthapuram where he made an unbeaten 50 off just 33 (SR 151.5) when the rest of the batters from both sides couldn’t strike it over 120, shows his steely grit. The conditions were challenging for the batters but not for Surya because he was not just prepared but ready with an execution plan.

The other innings which illustrates his special abilities is his 36-ball 69 against Australia in the 3rd and deciding T20I in Hyderabad. India were faced with a tall chase of 187 and after the loss of two quick wickets, Surya came in and dominated a strong Australian bowling attack to help his side register a special win and complete a series triumph.

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SKY was player of the series against South Africa in three match series (Photo: ©BCCI)

Finding form at the right time

It is very heartening to observe Surya’s growth when it comes to international cricket as an Indian fan and how he is becoming one of the central match-winners for India in T20Is. In the last few months, the right-hand batter has played some of his best cricket and reached his current career-best ranking of number 2 in the ICC Men’s T20I batter rankings, just behind Mohammad Rizwan.

SKY leads the run-scorers chart in T20I cricket for the year 2022, having already made 801 runs in 23 innings at an average of just over 40, batting with a sensational strike rate of close to 185.

His form is very crucial for the men in blue ahead of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 and it will do a whole lot of good for the team’s cause if he continues his rich vein of form in the mega event. Surya is a vital cog around which the top-order and rest of the middle order can revolve. His presence makes India’s top-7 among the most feared in the upcoming T20 World Cup to be played in Australia.

Without a shadow of doubt, Suryakumar Yadav is one of the most complete batters in T20 cricket at present and is definitely among the top three batters in the white-ball format of the game at the moment.

Top Twitter Reactions on Suryakumar Yadav from recent T20I series

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