Suryakumar Yadav, the newly appointed captain of the Indian cricket team for T20 matches, has set a record previously held by Virat Kohli. He led India to a convincing 43-run victory over Sri Lanka in the series opener on Saturday. Following the emphatic performance, Suryakumar Yadav was named the player of the match, tying him with former India T20I star Virat Kohli for the most Player of the Match awards. The 35-year-old, who retired from T20Is last month after India's T20 World Cup win, had 16 Player of the Match awards, with his last coming in the title clash of the 2024 tournament. Suryakumar has now equaled Kohli in 56 fewer matches, making a solid start to his captaincy stint with the Indian team. Here is a look at players with the most Player of the Match awards in T20Is:

Suryakumar made his T20I debut in 2021 and has since been an integral part of the side. Last year, the batter also climbed to No. 1 in the ICC rankings. Suryakumar was appointed Indian T20I captain earlier this month after a change in the team management, with Gautam Gambhir taking over as head coach, succeeding Rahul Dravid. The batter had previously captained the Indian team last year in a three-match T20I series against South Africa.

- Suryakumar Yadav (India) - 16 (in 69 matches)- Virat Kohli (India) - 16 (in 125 matches)- Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe) - 15 (in 91 matches)- Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan) - 14 (in 129 matches)- Rohit Sharma (India) - 14 (in 159 matches)

Suryakumar made an impressive 58 runs off just 26 balls, which set the tone for India's innings. This was supported by a strong 74-run partnership between openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill during the first six overs. Together, they helped India achieve a formidable total of 213 runs for 7 wickets, putting Sri Lanka under significant pressure from the very start. Sri Lanka put up a commendable fight with the bat, staying competitive until the 15th over.

However, the Indian bowlers showcased their prowess, adapting perfectly to the slow pitch conditions in the later stages of the match. Despite early resistance, Indian spinners Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, and newcomer Riyan Parag collectively claimed six wickets, dismantling the Sri Lankan batting lineup. From a promising position at 149 for 2, Sri Lanka crumbled, losing seven wickets for a mere 21 runs as India’s bowlers took control of the match.