Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Jan 25: The International Cricket Council (ICC) named Indian middle-order batsman Suryakumar Yadav the Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year on Wednesday following a sensational season in the shortest version of the game.
During the 2022 season, Suryakumar became the first Indian batter to hit 1000 runs or more in a year. The previous year, Suryakumar replaced Mohammad Rizwan of Pakistan as the top hitter in the ICC T20I rankings.
Suryakumar scored 1164 runs at an average of 46.56 in 31 matches, capping off one of the best seasons by any international cricketer in the shortest format. During his sensational 2022 season, the Team India superstar also possessed an explosive strike rate of 187.43. Suryakumar finished the 2022 season as the player with the most runs scored after shattering numerous records. The 2022 season saw the white-ball maverick smash 68 sixes, which is a record for a T20I batter in a calendar year.
In the previous season, the 32-year-old registered two centuries and nine half-centuries, making him the top batter. The Indian batter was a standout performer for Team India, which was captained by Rohit Sharma, at the T20 World Cup in Australia in 2022.
At the championship game, the daring hitter scored three half-centuries in six innings. In the ICC World T20 2022, Suryakumar batted with an outstanding strike rate of 189.68.
Following a successful run at the T20 World Cup, Suryakumar continued his hot streak and hit an incredible century against New Zealand in the game’s shortest format. After the T20 World Cup, Suryakumar was named the top batter in the ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings after accruing a career-high 890 rating points.