In the final match of the five-match T20 series, India locked horns with New Zealand at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. In a high-voltage encounter, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav led from the front, combining sharp leadership with his trademark explosive batting.
His performance not only powered India to a commanding total but also helped him register a major personal milestone in the process.
After winning the toss and opting to bat first, India went on to post a massive 271 runs in their allotted 20 overs. Suryakumar Yadav played a pivotal role in building this imposing total.
Walking in at a crucial stage, he scored a brisk 63 runs off just 30 balls, maintaining a relentless scoring rate throughout his stay at the crease. His innings was studded with four boundaries and six towering sixes, showcasing his ability to dominate bowlers with ease.
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Suryakumar’s aggressive approach during the middle overs completely unsettled the New Zealand bowling attack, leaving them searching for answers. His partnership with Ishan Kishan proved especially fruitful, as the duo rotated the strike efficiently while also finding the boundary at regular intervals. Together, they ensured that the momentum remained firmly with India, pushing the run rate higher and setting the stage for a formidable total on the board.
Before this series, various questions had been raised about Suryakumar Yadav's form. Runs hadn't come from his bat in several matches. But he made a brilliant comeback in this very series against New Zealand. In five innings, he scored three half-centuries and accumulated a total of 242 runs. As a result, Suryakumar became the Indian captain to score the most runs in a T20 series.
Broke Virat Kohli's old record
With this eye-catching performance, Suryakumar Yadav broke a major record of Virat Kohli.
Virat had scored 231 runs in a T20 series against England in 2021, which was the highest until now. Suryakumar's 242 runs surpassed that record. Earlier, Virat had also scored 181 runs in a series against the West Indies in 2019.
Memorable series for Suryakumar Yadav
At the start of this series, Suryakumar played an innings of 32 runs. In the second match, he scored an unbeaten 82 runs to bring victory to the team. In the third match too, he remained unbeaten and scored 57 runs. Although in the fourth match, he was out for just 8 runs. However, in the final match, Suryakumar returned to his rhythm with explosive batting once again. In this series, his bat produced a total of 25 fours and 14 sixes, which was much more than any other batsman. Throughout the series, he was the highest run-scorer.
Suryakumar Yadav also went on to create a world record during the match. He became the fastest batter to reach 3,000 runs in T20 international cricket, achieving the milestone in just 1,822 balls.
The previous record was held by UAE batter Mohammad Wasim, who had taken 1,947 balls to reach the same mark. By surpassing that effort, Suryakumar not only broke the record but also etched his name into the history books, underlining his dominance in the shortest format of the game.
