3 reasons why Suryakumar Yadav can end up as India's greatest T20I batter

Suryakumar Yadav has left people in search of new adjectives with his batting. The Mumbai-born batter became only the second Indian player to score three T20I centuries following his blitzkrieg against Sri Lanka in the third match against Sri Lanka in Rajkot on Saturday, January 7.

From his unorthodox scoop shots, which to be honest have become quite orthodox now, to his unbelievable ability to hoick the ball over cover, he left the Sri Lankan bowling unit paralyzed. The power he had during his stay at the crease was epitomized during a brief moment where Dasun Shanaka and Co. had to form a mini-huddle in the middle of the over to devise a solution against the rampage.

Suffice it to say, nothing worked against the right-handed batter who scored the second-fastest T20I hundred by an Indian player and just cannot seem to do anything wrong at the moment. Despite being a late bloomer onto the international circuit, having made his debut at the age of 30, Suryakumar has done more than enough to leave a legacy and the scary prospect for the opposition is that - he is far from being done.

With Suryakumar completing close to two years on the international circuit, it is time to question where he ranks among the greatest T20I batters that India have ever produced since the format's inception.

Here are three reasons why the Mumbai-born batter could go on to become India's greatest T20I batter.

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#1 Flagbearer for India's transition to revamped T20 cricket

While the runs Suryakumar is piling on matters a lot, he will largely be remembered for the spark he brought into the Indian batting unit. The Men in Blue were scratching their heads to resolve their poor run rate in the middle overs, a problem that has evidently been obsolete since his inclusion.

His ability to settle down with minimal time, coupled with the fact that he can take on pacers and spinners equally adeptly, makes him an ideal candidate for the middle overs.

In an era where aggression and intent are rewarded over traditional settling, Suryakumar emerges as a savior and a candidate who leads from the front and sets an example.

With Team India considering phasing out the seniors and grooming a younger side well in time for the T20 World Cup 2024, Suryakumar will be well in the thick of things, on the back of his experience and credibility.

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#2 Unprecedented numbers and consistency

Suryakumar's long overdue inclusion in the national team promised to be an exciting one, with yet another name added to drive the players in the playing XI. However, with his exploits, particularly after the T20 World Cup 2021, he cascaded onto another level, which is arguably not reachable by mortals at the given moment.

During his most recent innings against Sri Lanka, he became the fastest Indian to scale the 1500 T20I runs landmark in terms of deliveries faced. He scored those runs off just 849 balls and as a result, became the first Indian to achieve the feat with a strike rate of over 150.

Since making his debut, Suryakumar has scored 1578 runs at an average of 46.41 with a strike rate reading of 180.34. Across his 43 innings, he has crossed the 50-run mark 15 times, which includes his three centuries as well. The astonishing pattern, wherein he scores a fifty in almost three matches, shows the incredible consistency he has shown so far.

Should the pattern continue, with the same consistency and impact, the debate for Suryakumar to be crowned as India's greatest T20 batter won't be one that lasts long.

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#3 Modern-day longevity and statistical headstart over his peers

Modern-day cricket and the standards of fitness and professionalism it brings with it largely help in stretching the careers of players. The emergence of players who specialize in one format, workload management, and the lucrative avenue of franchise cricket at the end of the tunnel all point towards a lengthy career.

Keeping that in perspective, we have only witnessed the early bloom of Suryakumar's career. Should the graph proceed in a similar manner - onwards and upwards, the numbers he might end his career with could be deemed legendary.

Moreover, Suryakumar is neck-to-neck with Virat Kohli on a purely statistical basis after 43 innings. However, he leaps and bounds ahead of the other names who are in contention to be adjudged as India's greatest T20 batter.

Kohli is marginally ahead with 1707 runs at an average of 55.06 while Rohit Sharma was placed at 1033 runs at an average of 33.31. Even the likes of KL Rahul, Yuvraj Singh, and Virender Sehwag fall far behind purely in terms of numbers when compared to the man of the moment.

Will Suryakumar Yadav be India's greatest T20I batter upon ending his career in the future? Let us know what you think.

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