In the last couple of years, swashbuckling Suryakumar Yadav has been looked upon as India’s best answer to T20I cricket. And the man has performed beyond expectations too, numerous times. Ever since his debut, Surya, or SKY, as he is fondly known, has been the most successful T20I batsman the world over, and not just in India. In the 55 matches he has played for the country, he averages a massive 46.19 and has scored 1940 runs.
With another 60 runs in the next three innings, he can become the fastest Indian to 2000 T20I runs, surpassing Virat Kohli (56) and KL Rahul (58). The third T20I between India and Australia in Guwahati, at the Barsapara Stadium will be a perfect opportunity for the stand-in captain to achieve the feat. In fact, he has been in fine form in the ongoing IND vs AUS series and has already scored an 80 in the first game. Only Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have done it in faster time, both 52 innings.
| Player | Innings to 2000 T20I Runs |
| Babar Azam | 52 |
| Mohammad Rizwan | 52 |
| Virat Kohli | 56 |
| KL Rahul | 58 |
Suryakumar Enjoys Plays Against Aussies
In the five matches he has played against the Australians so far in his T20I career, Surya has scored 214 runs at an average of 42, with the help of two fifties. Not just that, he also slammed 16 fours and 15 sixes against the Kangaroos. Although his numbers take a bit of beating against Australia, but with a depleted Aussie attack, he could be lethal in the third T20I at Baraspara Stadium on Tuesday. He could improve upon his already great numbers in T20Is.
| Matches | Innings | Runs | HS | AVG |
| vs Australia | 5 | 214 | 80 | 42.80 |
| Overall | 52 | 1940 | 117 | 46.19 |
Best T20I Batter for India in 2022 & 2023
Over the last two years, Surya has been the most consistent batsman for Team Indian in the shortest format of the game. In 2022, he was the highest run-getter in the world. He ended up getting 1164 runs in 31 innings, which included two tons, and nine fifties. This year, he is the highest run-getter for India alone, since the team has not played enough T20Is. In that too, he has left a lasting impression. He has scored 532 runs in 12 innings at an average of 53, including one century and four fifties.
In this period, as far as other Indian batsmen are concerned, in 2022, Virat Kohli had only 781 runs at an average of 55. He scored his first ton, against Afghanistan in T20Is. Rohit Sharma was in the third position last year, with 656 runs in 29 innings, with only three fifties. Ishan Kishan was in the fourth slot, having scored 476 runs in 16 innings, with the help of three fifties. Such is Surya’s dominance, that in 2023, none of the other Indian batsmen are there in the Top-100 run-getters in T20Is.
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