The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday announced Indian star batter Suryakumar Yadav as the Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year. Yadav entered the history books as he became the first Indian to ever win the coveted award.
Suryakumar Yadav or SKY as he is often referred to by his peers, beat the likes of Mohammad Rizwan, Sikandar Raza and Sam Curran to clinch the top honour.
“Suryakumar Yadav had a stellar year with the bat breaking an array of records and setting a benchmark like never before in the format,” read the statement on ICC’s website.
SKY had a stellar year in the shortest format of the game. He ended the year as the highest run-getter, scoring 1164 runs with a jaw-dropping strike rate of 187.43, amassing two hundreds and nine-half centuries in the process.
The Mumbai player became only the second batter to make more than 1000 runs in a calendar year. He smashed 68 sixes during the calendar year, which is the most maximums hit in the format’s history.
SKY was a vital cog in India’s T20 World Cup charge. He scored three fifties in six innings, with a strike rate of 189.68, all the while maintaining a healthy average of 60.
The 32-year-old was also part of the ICC Men’s T20I team of the year, announced on Monday.
“SKY displayed his majestic prowess at the T20 World Cup as well, scoring 239 runs while going at a strike rate of 189.68. He finished the year as the No.1 batter in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings,” noted ICC.
Such has been SKY’s impact on the Indian team that the selectors have drafted him into the Test squad, solely because of his ability to turn games around in an instant.
SKY is part of the Test squad that will seek to defend its title in the upcoming Border Gavaskar trophy.
(With inputs from agencies)
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