India batter Suryakumar Yadav continued his golden run of form with the bat, making him a force to reckon with in 2022 in T20Is. After scoring a half-century in the second T20I against Sri Lanka in India’s 16-run loss, the series was at the line in Rajkot and Suryakumar rose to the occasion.
Hardik Pandya won the toss in the final T20I and chose to bat first. Though losing Ishan Kishan early and Shubman Gill (46) struggling to force the pace, first Rahul Tripathi (35 in 16 balls) and then Suryakumar Yadav, made a mockery of Sri Lankan bowlers.
Suryakumar was brutal as he smashed 9 sixes and 7 fours in his 112* knock in 51 balls as India posted 228/5 in 20 overs.
Sri Lanka, despite their batters, getting starts and keeping up with the rate for the first 10 overs, crumbled under pressure and were bowled out for 137 runs and lost the match by 91 runs and the series 2-1.
This was Suryakumar Yadav’s third T20I ton and he is just behind Rohit Sharma’s record of 4 centuries.
The 32-year-old showcased his batting ability to its fullest potential and was hailed by his teammates. In a viral video, India spinner Yuzvendra Chahal could be seen kissing Suryakumar's hand in an extraordinary gesture after the game.
Here is the video:
Suryakumar Yadav will now be seen in the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka which begins from January 10.