(July 29), At the bat, Suryakumar Yadav equaled Virat Kohli’s world record during India’s opening Twenty20 international match against Sri Lanka.
The Gautam Gambhir era got off to a successful start on Saturday as newly appointed T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav led India to a decisive 43-run victory over Sri Lanka in the series’ opening match. Following an explosive 74-run partnership between openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill in the first six overs, Suryakumar’s brilliant 58 off just 26 balls set the tone for India’s innings. The trio was instrumental in driving India to a formidable total of 213/7, placing tremendous pressure on the Sri Lankan side from the outset.
With the bat, Sri Lanka fought valiantly, remaining competitive all the way up to the fifteenth over. But later in the game, the Indian bowlers showed off their skill, perfectly adjusting to the slow pitch conditions. The Indian bowlers, spearheaded by spinners Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, and newcomer Riyan Parag, who together claimed six wickets, destroyed the Sri Lankan batting order despite the early opposition.
As India’s bowlers took control of the game, Sri Lanka, who had been in a promising position at 149 for 2, collapsed, losing seven wickets for just twenty-one runs.
Suryakumar Yadav tied former India T20I star Virat Kohli for the player of the match award after his dominant performance. The 35-year-old, who left the Twenty20 Internationals last month following India’s victory in the Twenty20 World Cup, had won 16 Player of the Match honors; his final one came during the tournament’s championship match in 2024.
As of right now, Suryakumar has caught up to Kohli in 56 fewer games while leading the Indian team. Check out the players who have won the most T20I Player of the Match honors:
- 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)
Since making his T20I debut in 2021, Suryakumar has grown to be a vital member of the team. The batter also rose to the top of the ICC rankings the previous year.
Gautam Gambhir, who succeeded Rahul Dravid as head coach, replaced him earlier this month, and Suryakumar was named the new captain of the Indian T20I team. Earlier in the season, the hitter led the Indian squad during three away Twenty20 International matches against South Africa.
