In a dazzling display of power-hitting, India’s dynamic captain, Suryakumar Yadav, added yet another feather to his cap on Wednesday. He became the fastest batter to reach 150 sixes in Twenty20 International cricket during the thrilling series opener against Australia at the Manuka Oval in Canberra.
Yadav reached this remarkable landmark in just 86 innings, having faced a total of 1,649 deliveries throughout his T20I career.
Suryakumar Yadav shattered the record for the fastest batter to hit 150 sixes in T20 Internationals among full member ICC nations. (Image: Lukas Coch/AAPImage via AP)
While UAE’s Muhammad Waseem achieved the same feat in fewer innings (66) and deliveries (1,543), it’s important to note that Waseem represents an associate member nation of the ICC, making Suryakumar’s record a significant achievement among full member nations.
Looking at the elite list of players with 150 or more sixes in T20 Internationals, Rohit Sharma currently leads with 205 maximums, followed by Muhammad Waseem (187), Martin Guptill (173), Jos Buttler (172), and now Suryakumar Yadav with his impressive 150*.
During the match, which was interrupted by rain, India was comfortably placed at 97/1 after 9.4 overs, having been asked to bat first. Suryakumar remained unbeaten on a swift 39 runs off just 24 balls, including three fours and two sixes. He forged a vital 62-run partnership off 35 balls with Shubman Gill, who was on 37 off 20 deliveries when the skies opened up for the second time.
The initial rain delay had already reduced the match to an 18-over contest. Earlier in the innings, Abhishek Sharma was dismissed for 19, caught by Tim David off Nathan Ellis, with India’s score at 35/1 in the fourth over.
Before the game commenced, Suryakumar expressed his satisfaction with batting first, citing the pitch and conditions. “We were looking to bat first. It looks like a good wicket,” he stated at the toss. “I heard from our analysts that not many games have been played here, so it might get slower in the second innings. That’s why we wanted to bat first.”
Commenting on the team’s preparation, he added, “We arrived here three or four days before the game. It was cold yesterday and today, but the conditions look good now. Hopefully, we’ll have a great match.”
For this opening T20I, India made several lineup changes. Suryakumar confirmed that Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep, and Nitish were the players missing out from the playing XI. Australia, after winning the toss, chose to bowl first.