Suryakumar Yadav News: Suryakumar Yadav becomes first player to smash 50 T20I sixes in a calendar year

Suryakumar Yadav became the first batsman in the history of cricket to hit 50 sixes in the shortest format of the game in a calendar year.

He reached this milestone during the second T20I match against South Africa in Guwahati.

In the match, the wrist batsman scored a brilliant 61 runs in just 22 balls. His knock entertained players and fans alike and was decorated with five fluent fours and five sky-high sixes.

Now Suryakumar has a total of 50 sixes in his name in the 2022 calendar year. His distant rival is Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan, who hit 42 sixes last year. Veteran New Zealand opener Martin Guptill is third with 41 maximum during the 2021 calendar year.

Coming into the match, the Proteas put India to bat as they posted a mammoth total of 237/3 in their 20 overs. Explosive knocks from KL Rahul (57 off 28 balls), Suryakumar Yadav (61 off 22 balls) and Virat Kohli (49* from 28 balls) helped the Men in Blue reach this total.

Spinner Keshav Maharaj was the only bowler who looked good for the Proteas, scoring 2/23 in his four overs.

Chasing 238, South Africa lost openers Temba Bavuma and Riley Rossouw for a duck, thanks to an opening spell from pacer Arshdeep Singh (2/62). Markram was dismissed for 33 off 19 balls by Axar Patel (1/53) before Aiden Markram and Quinton de Kock shared a 45-run stand.

Subsequently, de Kock and David Miller put on a 174-run partnership for the fourth wicket, but missed out on the win by 16 runs. Miller scored a brilliant century of 106* runs in just 47 balls. De Kock scored 69* in 48 balls.

KL Rahul scored 57 runs in 28 balls to win the ‘Man of the Match’ award.

The last T20 match will be played on Tuesday at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore.

After this, the three-match ODI series between the two teams will start from October 6.

Originally published at Pen 18