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Widely known for his elegance with the bat, Surya has a wide range of shots in his arsenal. (Image: surya_14kumar/Instagram)
One of the most explosive T20I batters, Suryakumar Yadav celebrates his 34th birthday today, September 14. The hard-hitting batter is one of the most sublime batters in the current Indian cricket team. Known for his elegance with the bat, Surya has a wide range of shots in his arsenal.
Delivering match-winning performances in a style similar to South Africa icon Ab de Villiers, the batter has won the T20 World Cup with India and the Indian Premier League (IPL) with the Mumbai Indians twice.
Widely known by his nickname ‘SKY’, Surya has represented India in international cricket across all three formats of the game. On his special day, let’s take a look at some of his most impactful performances.
One of Suryakumar Yadav’s most memorable knocks came during India’s tour of England in 2022. In the third T20I of the series, the hosts scored 217 runs in the opening innings. India lost Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant and Virat Kohli early during the chase. That is when Surya stepped up with a 55-ball 117. He hit 14 boundaries and six maximums in a losing effort for India.
Suryakumar Yadav was unstoppable in 2022, scoring his second T20I century months after the ton against England. Playing at the Bay Oval, he scored 111 runs facing just 51 deliveries. Surya racked up 11 boundaries and seven sixes to help India set a total of 191. His lightning-fast knock helped the Hardik Pandya-led side win by 65 runs.
Leading the Indian team in Johannesburg last year, Suryakumar Yadav came to bat at the number four position, scoring a 56-ball century. The Indian batter stepped up big in the absence of star players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. He hit seven boundaries and eight sixes, helping India seal a dominant 106-run victory.
Representing the Mumbai Indians, Suryakumar Yadav played a superb knock at the Wankhede Stadium against Gujarat Titans in 2023. Batting first, Surya came up with a super-fast 49-ball century. Having hit 11 boundaries and six maximums, the Surya helped his side put up 218 on the board. The target eventually proved too big for Gujarat Titans and the five-time champions sealed a 27-run victory.
Suryakumar Yadav delivered another Player of the Match performance against Sunrisers Hyderabad earlier this year. Playing against one of the tournament favourites, Surya soaked in all the pressure to score 102 facing 51 deliveries. He hit 12 boundaries and six maximums to help Mumbai Indians complete a successful chase, winning the fixture by seven wickets.
