Suryakumar Yadav scores 9000 T20 runs; joins Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma in elusive list

Suryakumar Yadav attains major batting record [Source: @BCCI/x]

Suryakumar Yadav led India’s rescue act against New Zealand in the first T20I of the five-match series on Wednesday, January 21. Batting at number four and arriving to the crease at a precarious 27-2, the Indian skipper shared a counterattacking 99-run partnership for the third wicket with blistering opener Abhishek Sharma in less than eight overs.

In search of runs amid form concerns, Suryakumar Yadav punched out a confident 32 from 22 balls during the partnership, clattering four boundaries and a huge six at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur. Through the course of his top-order counterattack, the senior batter also scaled a huge T20 landmark, thus joining an elite Indian batting club in the process.

Suryakumar completes 9,000 T20 runs, joins legends of Indian cricket

Suryakumar Yadav has now completed 9,000 T20 runs in his career. The cricketer achieved the feat after racing to 26* from 18 balls with a boundary off New Zealand spinner Ish Sodhi in the first ODI of the series.

Suryakumar Yadav also became only the fourth Indian cricketer in history to reach 9,000 runs in T20 matches, joining the likes of Virat Kohli and former opener Shikhar Dhawan in the process. Moreover, the Indian T20I captain surpassed IPL teammate and ex-Indian captain Rohit Sharma to become the third fastest Indian player to complete the landmark figure. Here is a list of all four Indian batters with 9,000 or more runs to their names in T20 cricket.

Fastest Indians to 9,000 T20 runs (by innings) and current tally:

• Virat Kohli – 271 innings – Current tally 13,543 runs
• Shikhar Dhawan – 308 innings – Current tally 9,797 runs
• Suryakumar Yadav – 321 innings – Current tally 9,007 runs
• Rohit Sharma – 329 innings – Current tally 12,248 runs

Out of Suryakumar Yadav’s illustrious 9,000-run tally in T20 cricket, the legendary Indian batter has aggregated 2,820 of those runs in T20I matches in 94 innings. One of the best T20I batters in the world at the moment, the 35-year-old maintains a prolific average of 35.25 in the format, and has scored his runs at a blistering strike rate of 163.

Suryakumar Yadav is also one of the most leading century-makers in T20Is with four hundreds to his name, along with 21 additional scores of fifty or more.

India vs New Zealand 1st T20I: Story so far…

Under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav, Team India was invited to bat first after New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner won the toss in Nagpur. However, the ‘Men in Blue’ lost two early wickets inside the powerplay in the form of attacking opener Sanju Samson for just 10 and comeback man Ishan Kishan for just eight.

Abhishek Sharma and captain Suryakumar Yadav subsequently led India’s fightback against New Zealand with a 99-run partnership. At the time of publishing, Team India raced to 181-5 in 15 overs, with legendary all-rounder Hardik Pandya and hard-hitting radical Rinku Singh both batting at the crease.