India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav entered the elite list of T20I batters as he hit a century in the third and final T20I of the series against South Africa. Suryakumar scored 100 runs from 56 deliveries to help India post 201/7 after South Africa skipper Aiden Markram won the toss and chose to bowl first at New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg on December 14. He became the third batter to score four T20I centuries after Rohit Sharma and Glenn Maxwell.
He became the first batter to score four T20I centuries in four different nations. The Indian batter did it in India, England, New Zealand, and South Africa. Before him, Maxwell had hit three T20I centuries in three different nations (Australia, India, and Sri Lanka).
Suryakumar created history as he became the first Indian batter to score a T20I century on South African soil. Before Suryakumar, the highest score by an Indian batter on South African soil in the format belonged to Manish Pandey who scored an unbeaten 79 in 2018 in Centurion.
The 33-year-old became the fifth visiting batter to score a T20I century in South Africa. Pakistan's Babar Azam West Indies' Johnson Charles and Chris Gayle and New Zealand's Martin Guptill had achieved the feat.
Suryakumar came in to bat in the third over of the innings after Keshav Maharaj got the wickets of opener Shubman Gill and Tilak Varma off consecutive deliveries. He hit his first six of the innings in the next over against Lizaad Williams. He played second fiddle to opener Yashasvi Jaiswal who got to his half-century from 34 balls in the 12th over.
He accelerated in the 13th over against Andile Phehlukwayo hitting him for three sixes and a four. In the 14th over, Jaiswal departed after scoring 60 runs from 41 balls. Suryakumar and Jaiswal shared a 112-run partnership for the third wicket.
Suryakumar took on debutant Nandre Burger and hit him for a six and two fours. After Rinku Singh was dismissed cheaply, Suryakumar reached his fourth T20I hundred on the first ball of the final over. He went for the big shot against Williams' next ball but could not get the elevation. His 56-ball 10 featured seven fours and eight sixes.
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