Suryakumar Yadav equals Virat Kohli’s most T20I ‘Player of the Match’ awards record

Suryakumar Yadav’s blazing knock against Afghanistan in the T20 World Cup wasn’t just about powering India to victory, it also propelled him into the history books. His Player-of-the-Match award (POTM) sees him tying Virat Kohli for the most such awards in T20I history.

Suryakumar Yadav matches Virat Kohli feat

Suryakumar Yadav‘s scintillating 53 runs off just 28 deliveries were instrumental in India’s dominant win. More importantly, this performance earned him his 15th T20I POTM award, putting him on par with the legendary Virat Kohli.

Both stand atop the leaderboard for most Player-of-the-Match awards in T20 Internationals.

Other Contenders for Most POTM in T20Is

Following closely behind Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav are Virandeep Singh (Malaysia), Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe), and Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan), each with 14 POTM awards to their name.

India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, sits comfortably in third place with 13 POTM accolades.

Afghanistan falter after strong start

While India celebrated, Afghanistan faced their second defeat of the T20 World Cup. Their impressive run of three initial wins, including a dominant victory over New Zealand, came to a halt. A heavy defeat to West Indies in the final Group C match followed by India’s emphatic win in the Super 8 opener has dented their momentum.

India’s bowling prowess vs Afghanistan

India’s bowlers shared the spoils, with Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh claiming three wickets each to restrict Afghanistan to a meagre 134 runs.

Interestingly, all ten Afghan batsmen were dismissed caught, marking a unique record – the second time this has happened in T20 World Cup history (Afghanistan also achieved this feat against England in 2022).

Suryakumar Yadav: Force to reckoned with

Currently ranked as the world’s number one T20I batsman, Suryakumar Yadav continues to impress. His T20I career boasts 220 runs in 63 matches, with an exceptional average of 44.89 and a staggering strike rate of 168.06. This includes four centuries and an impressive 18 fifties.

India and Afghanistan’s next steps

India will aim to maintain their winning streak when they face Bangladesh in their second Super 8 match on Saturday. Meanwhile, Afghanistan will look to bounce back against Australia in their next encounter.