India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav equaled Virat Kohli’s world record in nearly half the time.
India’s newly-appointed T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav began his tenure in spectacular fashion, leading the team to a convincing victory in the first match of the series. Suryakumar’s Team India defeated Sri Lanka by 43 runs after posting an impressive total of 213/7, with the skipper leading the charge. Suryakumar scored 58 runs off 26 balls, playing a crucial role in setting the tempo of the game. Demonstrating his strategic acumen, Suryakumar guided the team to a strong start to the tour. His performance earned him the Player of the Match award, tying Virat Kohli’s world record for the most such awards in T20 internationals.
Suryakumar now shares the record for the most Player of the Match awards in T20I history, achieving this milestone in just 69 matches, compared to Kohli’s 125 matches.
Virat Kohli’s final Player of the Match award came in the T20 World Cup 2024 final, after which he retired from T20I cricket.
Most Player of the Match awards in T20Is:
- Suryakumar Yadav (India) – 16 (in 69 matches)
- Virat Kohli (India) – 16 (in 125 matches)
- Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe) – 15 (in 91 matches)
- Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan) – 14 (in 129 matches)
- Rohit Sharma (India) – 14 (in 159 matches)
During the post-match presentation, Suryakumar praised the Sri Lankan team for their efforts. “They were playing a good brand of cricket from ball one. They were keeping the tempo, credit goes to them. We know how the wicket plays at night. We were fortunate that there was no dew. The way we played in the World Cup reminded us that the game was still far from over. Whatever works for the team, we’ll take the call,” Suryakumar said.
In the first T20I, Sri Lanka’s captain Charith Asalanka won the toss and opted to bowl first. India posted 213/7 in 20 overs, with notable contributions from Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Shubman Gill. Matheesha Pathirana was Sri Lanka’s standout bowler, taking four wickets for 40 runs in his four overs. Dilshan Madhushanka, Asitha Fernando, and Wanindu Hasaranga each took one wicket.
Chasing a target of 214, Sri Lanka was bowled out for 170 runs in 19.2 overs, giving India a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Opener Pathum Nissanka was the top scorer for Sri Lanka with 79 runs off 48 balls, including seven fours and four sixes. Kushal Mendis also contributed 45 runs from 27 balls with seven fours and a six. No other Sri Lankan batter made a significant impact.
For India, spinner Riyan Parag was the leading wicket-taker, claiming three wickets for just five runs in 1.2 overs. Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel each took two wickets, while Mohammed Siraj and Ravi Bishnoi each took one.
