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

In the match, the wristy batter scored a brilliant 61 off just 22 balls. His knock entertained players and fans alike and was decorated with five fluent fours and five sky-high sixers.

Guwahati: Suryakumar Yadav became the first batter in the history of cricket to smash 50 sixes in the shortest format of the game in a single calendar year.

He reached this landmark during the second T20I match against South Africa at Guwahati.

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In the match, the wristy batter scored a brilliant 61 off just 22 balls. His knock entertained players and fans alike and was decorated with five fluent fours and five sky-high sixers.

Now Suryakumar has a total of 50 sixes in the 2022 calendar year. His distant rival is Pakistan’s wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan, who had hit 42 sixes last year. New Zealand‘s veteran opener Martin Guptill is at the third, with 41 maximums during the 2021 calendar year.

Coming to the match, India was put to bat first by Proteas and they scored a massive 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* off 28 balls) helped the Men in Blue reach this total.

Spinner Keshav Maharaj was the only bowler who looked good for Proteas, taking 2/23 in his four overs.
Chasing 238, South Africa lost opener Temba Bavuma and Rilee Rossouw for a duck, thanks to pacer Arshdeep Singh’s (2/62) opening spell. Aiden Markram and Quinton de Kock had a 45-run stand before Markram was dismissed by Axar Patel (1/53) for 33 off 19 balls.

Next, de Kock and David Miller had a 174-run stand for the fourth wicket but fell short of a win by 16 runs. Miller scored a brilliant century, 106* in just 47 balls. de Kock scored 69* off 48 balls.
KL Rahul won the ‘Man of the Match’ award for his 57 off 28 balls.

The final T20I will be played on Tuesday at Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore.

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