IND vs NZ: Suryakumar Yadav 4th to play 100 T20Is for India, joins Elite List

India captain Suryakumar Yadav added a major milestone to his glittering T20 career as he became only the fourth men's cricketer to play 100 T20 Internationals for India during the first T20I against New Zealand in Nagpur on Wednesday.

The landmark appearance came at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, further underlining his status as one of the modern game's most influential short-format batters.

Despite a lean run in 2025 by his lofty standards, scrutiny around his current form has not diluted his importance to India's plans, with team management backing his attacking template as central to their approach in the buildup to the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Suryakumar Yadav joins elite List

The 35-year-old right-hander joined an elite Indian club that features former skipper Rohit

Sharma, batting great Virat Kohli and all-rounder Hardik Pandya as the only men to have completed a century of T20I caps for the country. Since his T20I debut in March 2021, Suryakumar has built a reputation as a fearless 360-degree stroke-maker, and ahead of this match he had already crossed 2,700 T20I runs with four centuries to his name, placing him among India's most productive batters in the format.

Globally, Suryakumar's 100th appearance also places him among a select list of just over 50 male players to have featured in 100 or more T20Is, highlighting the volume of short-format cricket he has played compared to his relatively limited exposure in Tests and ODIs.

Within the Indian setup, his milestone runs parallel to the growth of T20I cricket in the country, following the path laid down by Rohit and Kohli while representing a newer generation. The India skipper is also in need for a revival in batting form after a prolonged lean patch in the shortest format of the game.