Suryakumar Yadav Set to Play 100th T20I as India Face New Zealand

The five-match T20 International series between India and New Zealand will commence today, January 21st. The first match will be a historical moment in the career of India’s T20 International team captain Suryakumar Yadav. As soon as he enters the ground to toss the coin, he will mark his presence in his 100th T20 International match. This will make Suryakumar Yadav one among the few Indian cricketers to have a long and consistent career in T20 Internationals.

Suryakumar Yadav is all set to join a prestigious group of cricketers, becoming the fourth Indian player to play 100 T20Is. Currently, this list leads, with none other than the legendary Rohit Sharma, playing 159 matches for India. He is then followed by Virat Kohli, playing 125 matches. Third is Hardik Pandya, who will equal Kohli's record today with 124 matches. By joining the 100 T20 International club, Suryakumar will cement his status as one of India's most influential T20 players.

In addition to the number of matches, Surya is just five sixes away from reaching 400 sixes in overall T20 cricket. He has already hit the ball 395 times in 346 matches and 320 innings. Achieving this feat will make him the third Indian to hit 400 or more sixes in T20Is. Rohit Sharma (547 sixes) is in first place, followed by Virat Kohli (435 sixes).

It's worth noting that pressure is mounting on Suryakumar Yadav ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup. His performance in 2025 was far below expectations, scoring just 218 runs in 21 matches at an average of just 13.62. Surprisingly, he didn't score a single half-century or century. It's believed that if India fails to defend the T20 World Cup title, his retirement from T20 is imminent.