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SKY overtakes 1000-run mark in T20Is in a calendar year; What exactly makes him special?

Suryakumar Yadav overtakes 1000-run mark in T20Is in a calendar year (2022); What exactly makes him special?

ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022, Super 12, Group 2, India vs Zimbabwe_ Suryakumar Yadav scored 61 off 25 against Zimbabwe; India beat Zimbabwe _ Walking Wicket (Photo_ ©ICC_Getty Images)
SKY crosses 1000-run mark in T20Is in a calendar year (2022) (Photo: ©ICC/Getty Images)

In the last league game against Zimbabwe in the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022, India’s innings was struggling to gain momentum as boundaries were not coming thick and fast. KL Rahul holed out in the deep while trying for a second straight six and Virat Kohli was dismissed playing a risky shot looking to accelerate, whereas Rishabh Pant was caught brilliantly in the deep by Ryan Burl.


During that phase, when Rahul and Kohli were batting, and the run rate was about 8, and being an Indian fan or cricket lover, one could have been forgiven asking for a wicket as that would bring the in-form Suryakumar Yadav into the middle.


SKY, who has lit up many matches with his powerhouse performances and quick innings, once again lived up to the expectations and cracked a match-winning knock of 25-ball 61*. He cracked 6 fours and 4 sixes in his innings. He played all the shots that are being identified with him now. The scoops over the keeper’s head, the flicks over square leg, the lofted shots over the midfield, and the slash in the third man-point region.


One shot he played was the flick over the vacant square leg region even as the opposition bowled off and wide to keep the ball out of SKY’s hitting arc. But SKY made a mockery of the strategy and field placements. He repeatedly took a giant front foot forward and flicked all those off and wide deliveries over square leg for sixes and fours to leave Zimbabwe helpless and clueless.


And when Zimbabwe hit a good length, he went underneath the ball to hit it over the keeper’s head. This type of batting, where SKY is “toying” (as television commentator Sunil Gavaskar called it) with the bowling and field placements is nothing short of genius and the India batter has gained mastery over it.


Read More: 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, Super 12, Group 2, India vs Zimbabwe_ Suryakumar Yadav's 61 off 25 helps India beat Zimbabwe; India to face England in semis _ Walking Wicket (Photo_ ©Getty Images)
SKY's 61 off 25 helps India beat Zimbabwe (Photo: ©Getty Images)

Stats prove SKY is the best batter in T20Is; gets 1000+ T20I runs in a calendar year (2022)

Among the top five run-getters in T20Is this year, Suryakumar Yadav has the best strike rate of 186.54. Surya, during his knock of