Suryakumar Yadav has been shortlisted for ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year for 2023. After winning the accolade in 2022, India’s dashing batter had another dominating year in the shortest format.
Last year, Suryakumar amassed 733 runs from 17 T20I innings at an average of 48.86 and a strike rate of 155.95.
Despite a slow start with a mere 7 in his first innings against Sri Lanka, Surya swiftly picked up momentum and registered scores of 51 (36) and an unbeaten 112* (51) in the subsequent matches.
Consistent scoring in 20s to 40s continued, before an innings of 83 (44) against the West Indies in Providence proved his class. He ended the series against the West Indies with a knock of 61 (45) in Florida.
Suryakumar also made half-centuries against Australia (80 off 42 balls) and South Africa (56 from 36 balls), before slamming a hundred against the Proteas off just 56 balls in their final T20I of the year in Johannesburg.
Besides Surya, Zimbabwe's Sikandar Raza (11 innings, 515 runs at 51.50, strike rate 150.14; 17 wickets at 14.88, economy 6.57), Uganda's Alpesh Ramjani Uganda (55 wickets at 8.98, economy 4.77) and New Zealand's Mark Chapman (17 innings, 556 runs at 50.54, strike rate 145.54) are the other three nominees for this award.
Meanwhile, India’s young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has been nominated for the ICC Men’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year alongside New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra, South Africa’s Gerald Coetzee and Sri Lanka’s Dilshan Madushanka.
Jaiswal left a last impression on everyone in 2023 with his stunning performances in Test cricket and T20Is. The southpaw aggregated 283 Test runs at an average of 70.75 during the year while also racking up 430 T20I runs at 33.07 with a strike rate of 159.25.
In his debut Test match against the West Indies, Jaiswal slammed a century and won the Player of the Match honour.
The 22-year-old also made his T20I debut on the tour of the Caribbean. After an early blip, he responded with an innings of 84* from just 51 balls. He smashed 100 (49) against Nepal at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, before half-centuries against Australia (53 from 25 balls) and 60 (41) against South Africa.
ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of 2023
Nominees: Suryakumar Yadav (India), Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe), Alpesh Ramjani (Uganda), Mark Chapman (New Zealand)
ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of 2023
Nominees: Hayley Matthews (West Indies), Ellyse Perry (Australia), Sophie Ecclestone (England), Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka)
ICC Men’s Emerging Cricketer of 2023
Nominees: Rachin Ravindra (New Zealand), Gerald Coetzee (South Africa), Dilshan Madushanka (Sri Lanka), Yashasvi Jaiswal (India)
ICC Women’s Emerging Cricketer of 2023
Nominees: Phoebe Litchfield (Australia), Marufa Akter (Bangladesh), Lauren Bell (England), Darcey Carter (Scotland)
(With ICC Inputs)
