Suryakumar Yadav equals Virat Kohli’s world record in 56 fewer matches in blistering start to captaincy era against SL

Suryakumar Yadav produced a sublime performance with the bat in India’s first T20I against Sri Lanka and in the process equalled Virat Kohli’s world record.

In a stellar performance, newly-appointed T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav led India to a commanding 43-run victory over Sri Lanka in the opening match of the series on Saturday, marking a successful start to the Gautam Gambhir era. Suryakumar’s scintillating 58 off just 26 balls set the tone for India’s innings after an explosive 74-run partnership in the first six overs between openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill; the trio played a key role in propelling India to a formidable total of 213/7, putting immense pressure on the Sri Lankan side right from the start.

India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav celebrates after scoring a half-century (50 runs) during the first Twenty20 international cricket match between Sri Lanka and India(AFP)

Sri Lanka put up a commendable fight with the bat, staying competitive until the 15th over. However, the Indian bowlers showcased their prowess, adapting perfectly to the slow pitch conditions in the later stages of the match. Despite the early resistance, the Indian bowlers, led by spinners Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, and newcomer Riyan Parag, who collectively claimed six wickets, dismantled the Sri Lankan batting lineup.

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From a promising position at 149 for 2, Sri Lanka crumbled, losing seven wickets for a mere 21 runs, as India’s bowlers took control of the match.

Following the emphatic performance, Suryakumar Yadav was named the player of the match, which takes him level with former India T20I star Virat Kohli. The 35-year-old, who retired from the T20Is last month after India’s T20 World Cup win, had 16 Player of the Match awards to his name, with his last coming in the title clash of the 2024 tournament.

Suryakumar has now equalled Kohli in 56 fewer matches, making a solid start to his captaincy stint with the Indian team. Take a look at players with the most Player of the Match awards in T20Is:

Suryakumar Yadav (India) – 16 (in 69 matches)
Virat Kohli (India) – 16 (in 125 matches)
Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe) – 15 (in 91 matches)
Virandeep Singh (Malaysia) – 14 (in 78 matches)
Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan) – 14 (in 129 matches)
Rohit Sharma (India) – 14 (in 159 matches)

Suryakumar made his T20I debut in 2021 and has since been an integral part of the side. Last year, the batter also climbed to no.1 in the ICC rankings.

Suryakumar was appointed the Indian T20I captain earlier this month after a change in the team management, with Gautam Gambhir taking over as head coach, succeeding Rahul Dravid. The batter has earlier captained the Indian team last year, when the side took on South Africa in three away T20Is.

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