Suryakumar Yadav has etched his name in the record books once again, becoming the fastest batter to reach 3000 runs in T20I cricket by balls faced. The Indian captain achieved this milestone during the 5th match of the ongoing series against New Zealand on Saturday (January 31), outpacing global stars and his own teammates including Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
Suryakumar Yadav's special milestone
Suryakumar Yadav reached the 3,000-run milestone in an astonishing 1,822 balls, surpassing UAE's Muhammad Waseem, who held the previous record with 1,947 balls. This aggressive approach highlighted Suryakumar's signature style of innovative shot-making and high strike rate. Notably, the 35-year-old accomplished this feat in 98 innings across his T20I career, underlining his efficiency and dominance in the shortest format.
List of players to reach fastest to 3000 T20I runs (by balls faced):
1822: Suryakumar Yadav (India)
1947: Muhammad Waseem (UAE)
2068: Jos Buttler (England)
2077: Aaron Finch (Australia)
2113: David Warner (Australia)
2149: Rohit Sharma (India)
2169: Virat Kohli (India)
Joining an elite Indian Trio
With this achievement, Suryakumar became only the third Indian batter to cross 3,000 T20I runs, following legends Rohit Sharma (4,231 runs) and Virat Kohli (4,188 runs), both of whom have retired from the format. His entry into this exclusive club cemented his status as a key pillar of India's white-ball setup.
A comeback to remember
Despite facing a tough patch last year with a prolonged lean run, Suryakumar Yadav has bounced back strongly. His fearless batting and ability to accelerate innings have made him India's go-to player in T20Is. This record-breaking knock against New Zealand serves as a strong statement ahead of future tournaments, including the next T20 World Cup.
IND vs NZ 5th T20I: Match summary
In the fifth and final T20I of the series, India dominated New Zealand to secure a convincing 46-run victory and clinch the five-match series 4-1.
India won the toss and elected to bat first. Despite an early struggle, Ishan Kishan delivered a explosive maiden T20I century (103 off 43 balls), supported by Suryakumar Yadav's quick 63 off 30 balls. India posted a mammoth 271/5 in 20 overs.
Chasing 272, New Zealand started aggressively with Finn Allen smashing 80 off 38 balls, but Arshdeep Singh's exceptional 5/51 dismantled the middle order, backed by Axar Patel's 3/33. New Zealand were bowled out for 225 in 19.4 overs.