Suryakumar Yadav broke Virat Kohli’s record for most Player of the Match awards by an Indian in T20Is, thanks to his sparkling century in the second T20I between New Zealand and India, which was played at Mount Maunganui’s Bay Oval Ground on 20 November 2022.
Suryakumar hammered his second T20I career century and second in 2022 as he scored 111* in 51 balls with 11 fours and 7 sixes after India was asked to bat first in the match by New Zealand captain Kane Williamson who the coin toss won.
He hammered both spinners and pacers to all parts of the Tauranga ground and gave the crowd their ticket money’s worth with exemplary stroke play. This was his second T20I ton, both in 2022, as his first century against England had come at Nottingham in July.
India ended their 20 overs for 191/6. Meanwhile, for New Zealand, Tim Southee picked up a hat-trick in the last over of the Indian innings, his second of his career in T20Is.
In reply, Deepak Hooda chose 4/10, Mohammed Siraj 2/24 and Yuzvendra Chahal chose 2/26 as New Zealand folded to 126, with only Kane Williamson putting up some resistance with a 61-run knockout.
Suryakumar Yadav beats Virat Kohli to tie Sikandar Raza’s record for most Player of the Match Awards in T20Is
Thanks to his sparkling century, Suryakumar Yadav was named Player of the match, which was his seventh such award in T20I cricket. This meant he surpassed Virat Kohli’s record of 6 Player of the Match awards in T20Is and equaled the record held by Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza who also has 7 such awards to his name.
Former Indian skipper Kohli and Ugandan Dinesh Nakrani have been awarded the special honor six times in T20Is.
Apart from this, Suryakumar scored the match-winning century in the 2nd T20I on Sunday, matching Rohit Sharma’s feat of completing two short-form centuries in the same year. Rohit achieved this feat in 2018, making him the first Indian batsman to achieve it.
