Suryakumar Yadav now holds the record for the most Player of the Match awards won for India in T20 Internationals. The India skipper picked up his 17th plaque in just his 105th T20I against the United States of America during the 2026 T20 World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday (February 7).
The skipper hit a sensational 84 off just 49 balls. His strike rate of 171.43 seems more impressive against the context: India were 77/6 at one point when he was at the crease. His composed and supremely timed innings helped the team reach 161/9, which they defended by a margin of 29 runs.
The record was held by Virat Kohli, who won 16 PotM awards in 125 T20Is before his retirement. Rohit Sharma and Axar Patel are next in the list with
“I knew definitely
someday it was going to come,” Suryakumar said of his innings while collecting the award. “Last whole year, I was trying to bat in such a way, hold the innings for the team, but it wasn’t happening. But then I left it alone after I played the last series of last year against South Africa. Packed my kit bag, spent a lot of time with family for two weeks. Then started in the new year and when we went to Nagpur, it was a different feeling altogether.”
“I always felt that there was a need for a batter to bat till the end,” the skipper added on his plans after the collapse. “I never felt that it was a 180-190 wicket. I felt it was a 140 wicket. But then Gauti Bhai told me the same thing during the break after the 14 overs. He told me, just try and bat till the end, you can cover it any time. And also, most important thing, I have played a lot of my cricket in Bombay, this wicket and also maidans of Mumbai cricket. So I know how to bat on similar kind of wickets… You had to understand that one batter had to bat till the end. I just kept counting who was about to bowl at that time and checked on how many balls were left and I was just trying to play good shots and my shots,” he added.
India will now play against Namibia on February 12 in New Delhi.
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