Suryakumar Yadav scored his fourth T20I hundred in India’s third and final T20I against South Africa on December 14 (Thursday), becoming the joint-highest century-maker in the format.

Yadav has batted in 57 innings since his debut in 2021 and notched up his fourth ton in the format against the Proteas, reaching the landmark from 55 deliveries in Johannesburg. Walking out to bat at No.4 after India lost Shubman Gill and Jitesh Sharma off successive deliveries, Yadav raced away to 18 runs off his first nine balls, hitting two sixes and a four in the span of four deliveries. However, he slowed down thereafter, making 17 runs in his next 20 balls.

He broke the shackles in the 13th over of the innings, bowled by Andile Phehlukwayo, smashing 6, 4, 6, 6 from successive balls, bringing up his fifty in 32 deliveries. He hit two more sixes in the innings along with five boundaries, and reached his hundred in the last over with a double. After take 25 from his first 27 balls, Yadav raced away to hit 73 off his last 31 deliveries to bring up a memorable ton.

Yadav broke several records en route to his innings, becoming the batter with the most T20I tons batting at No.3 or below. Yadav’s innings was laced with eight sixes, the second-most in a T20I innings for India. He also surpassed Virat Kohli to become the second-highest six-hitter in T20Is for India. He currently has 123 maximums from 57 innings and is behind only Rohit Sharma, who has hit 182 in 140 games.

Yadav, who was also leading the team in the absence of Hardik Pandya, also became only the second India skipper after Rohit (twice) to score a hundred in a T20I game. No one has more T20I hundreds than Yadav, who only made his T20I debut two years ago.

The Mumbai Indians batter currently has 2,141 runs in the format at an average of 45.55 and a strike rate of 171.55, the highest among batters who have made at least 1,000 runs in the format.

Yadav was eventually dismissed for a 56-ball 100, with his runs coming at a strike rate of 178.57. It is worth noting that it is his slowest T20I ton, having earlier made 117 in 55 (strike rate of 212.72), 112* in 51 (219.60) and 111* off 51 deliveries (217.64).

Courtesy of his knock, India posted 201-7, with six batters making single-digit scores. They bowled South Africa out for just 95 in response to seal the series in their favour.

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