New Delhi [India], September 14 : Former Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh wished Indian T20I skipper and short-format superstar Suryakumar Yadav on his birthday as he turned 35 on Sunday.
With a strokeplay compared to 'Mr 360' AB de Villiers, South Africa, a rare air of calm and audacity about him as a leader and batter and several accomplishments to back all the hype, Suryakumar is one of the modern-day wizards of T20 cricket, capable of changing the game in a blink.
"Sky is the limit for those who believe and make it happen! Have a wonderful birthday @surya14kumar, god bless and bring that trophy home," Yuvraj Singh wrote on his Instagram story.
Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir wrote on his X handle, "Many many happy returns of the day, Surya. Keep flying high."
Having debuted at the age of 30 against England, Suryakumar is proof that hard work always gives results after being released by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), where he served as a lower-order hitter from 2014-17, a few fruitful seasons with Mumbai Indians (MI) led Surya to his Indian cap dream.
His stunning first-ball six against a fiery Jofra Archer on the very first ball he faced in international cricket is proof of his ability and hunger to dominate bowlers right from the word go.
Suryakumar's wife Devisha Shetty also extended her wish to the Indian T20I skipper, "My absolute fav human happy happy birthday. Love you now and forever. "
T20Is are Suryakumar's most successful format, with 2,605 runs in 80 innings at an average of 38.30 and a strike rate of 167.30. He has scored four centuries and 21 fifties. His best score is 117. He is India's third-highest run-getter of all time.
He has won two back-to-back ICC Men's T20I Player of the Year awards in 2022 and 2023. In 2022, he scored the most runs by an Indian T20I batter in a calendar year, with 1,164 runs in 31 matches and innings at an average of 46.56 and a strike rate of 187.43, with two centuries and nine fifties. His best score is 117. This is also the third-highest runs scored by a batter in T20Is during a calendar year.
Along with Virat Kohli, he is the joint-fastest to 2,000 T20I runs in 56 innings. He is a one-time T20 World Cup champion, winning the title in 2024. He took the iconic catch to dismiss David Miller that left South Africa seven runs short of the 177 set by India.
He was India's second-highest run-getter and overall ninth-best batter in the tournament, with 199 runs in eight matches and innings at an average of 28.42 and a strike rate of 135.37, with a best score of 53 and two half-centuries.
He has done well for India in the T20 World Cup, having made 480 runs in 18 matches and 17 innings at an average of 40.00 and a strike rate of 158.94, with five half-centuries. His best score is 94. In his debut tournament in the 2022 edition in Australia, he made 239 runs in six innings at an average of 59.75 and a strike rate of 189.68, with three fifties and a best score of 68.
He was the third-highest run-getter in the tournament. With 16 'Player of the Match' awards in T20Is, Suryakumar, along with Virat, has joint POTM honours in T20Is and overall joint-third-highest. Ever since taking over India's T20I captaincy last year, Suryakumar has led India to 13 wins, just two losses and a tie in 16 T20Is.
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