Watch: Suryakumar Yadav took 26 runs off the final over of India’s innings against Hong Kong in the Asia Cup, smashing four sixes in the first five balls.
The No.4 has developed a reputation as one of the finest T20 batters in the world, and one of the international game’s fastest scorers. He showcased the best of his ball-striking in a blistering 26-ball innings, with his unbeaten 68 including six fours and six sixes.
Four of those maximums came in the final over, with Suryakumar hitting the first three balls of the over for six. The first two were sliced deliberately square on the off-side, with the third lofted gloriously straight down the ground. The right-hander played and missed at the fourth delivery of the over, ending any hopes that he might join the exclusive list of batters to have hit six sixes in six balls, but he was back to big-hitting ways soon, pulling for another six before mistiming for a couple.
Suryakumar’s innings was a vital one, helping India take 98 runs from the last seven overs of the innings. Had India’s sedate start continued, Hong Kong may have pulled off an upset. They put up a respectable total of 152-5 in the chase.
Suryakumar’s strike-rate now sits at 177.51 in T20Is, the highest of any batter in history with a cut-off of 500 runs. He is ranked third in the ICC men’s T20I batting rankings, though how far he can close the gap to Babar Azam in first pafter his latest onslaught remains to be seen.
Watch Suryakumar smash four sixes in five balls below:
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