Indian batter Suryakumar Yadav was named the ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year 2022 on Thursday, 25 January, for his exemplary performance in the shortest format of the game.
Yadav featured in 31 T20I matches in 2022, wherein he accumulated 1164 runs at an incredible average of 46.56, and an even more impressive strike rate of 187.43. He struck a couple of centuries, alongside as many as nine half-centuries, in this format last year.
Yadav’s blitzkrieg started with a bilateral outing against West Indies back in February, where he struck one half-century.
In July, he brought up his maiden T20I century in a match against England in Nottingham, scoring 117 runs in only 55 deliveries.
The second century came only a few months back in November. Playing against New Zealand in Mount Maunganui, the Mumbaikar accumulated 111 runs in 51 deliveries, whilst also remaining unbeaten.
India’s ‘Mr Reliable’ in Multi-Nation Tournaments
Three of Yadav’s T20I half-centuries in 2022 came against South Africa, with the best of the lot being a 40-ball 68 in an ICC Men’s T20 World Cup encounter, which was played in Perth. While India were eliminated in the semi-final by England, the competition was memorable for the batter as he stood third on the list of leading run-scored, having amassed 239 runs in six matches.
'Sky', as he is affectionately called, was among India's more reliable performers in multi-nation events. Prior to the T20 World Cup in Australia, he also scored 139 runs in the Asia Cup 2022, with a strike rate of 163.52. The swashbuckler struck one half-century in that competition – a 39-ball unbeaten 68 against Asia Cup.
Three of Suryakumar Yadav's nine T20I half-centuries in 2022 came against South Africa.
(Photo: BCCI)
The 32-year-old became only the second batter to score 1000+ runs in T20I cricket in a calendar year, while he also broke a plethora of records in the process. Not only was he the leading T20I run-scorer of the year, but with 68 maximums, he also topped the six-hitting charts of the year.
"It is a great honour to have been voted the ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year by the panel, especially after being nominated alongside such a strong list of contenders. I enjoyed many highlights during the year and to receive this award is another reason why 2022 was very special for me, with a lot of positives to take moving forward," the batter informed ICC after winning the accolade.
"This achievement is only made possible thanks to the teammates, coaches, support staff and cricket fans who helped me on my journey. We have a big year ahead in 2023, and I will strive to continue this success for my country in every performance," he further added.
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