Touching 'SKY-line': Suryakumar Yadav is now India's highest run-scorer in T20Is in single calendar year

Suryakumar Yadav's status as India's best T20I batter in recent times has been reaffirmed as he became the highest scorer in a single calender year with 732 runs, surpassing Shikhar Dhawan's 689 back in 2018. Suryakumar, who scored one of his finest T20I half-centuries against South Africa on a seaming track in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday, is only 24 runs short of completing 1000 runs in the format.

His strike-rate in 2022 is a whopping 180.29, while his career strike-rate is a staggering 173.35 across 32 games. He has already hit 57 sixes and 88 boundaries in his career so far.

1/17In Pics: Pitch surprise as India down South Africa in 1st T20IShow Captions<p>Arshdeep Singh rattled the opposition batting on a seaming pitch to set up India's eight-wicket win over South Africa in their opening T20I on Wednesday.</p><p>South Africa recovered from 9-5 in 2.3 overs to post 106-8 after India elected to field first.</p><p>Arshdeep returned figures of 3-32 and Deepak Chahar took two wickets on an unusually bowler-friendly track.</p><p>India lost skipper Rohit Sharma for a duck and Virat Kohli (3) before the hosts achieved their target with 20 balls to spare and take a 1-0 lead.</p><p>KL Rahul (51) and Suryakumar Yadav (50) put on an unbeaten 93-run partnership to complete the chase.</p><p>New-ball bowlers Chahar and Arshdeep made it count after India lost pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah to "back pain" before the start of the match.</p><p>No. 8 Keshav Maharaj hit 41 off 35 balls to help South Africa bat the full 20 overs and add some respectability to their meagre total.</p><p>Chahar bowled skipper Temba Bavuma for a fourth-ball duck and fellow opener Quinton de Kock dragged a delivery on to his stumps from Arshdeep.</p><p>The.