3 best men's T20I knocks for India in 2022
With 2022 being the year in which the eighth edition of the T20 World Cup took place down under, T20I cricket has enjoyed a massive boom throughout the last 12 months.
2022 became the first-ever calendar year in which more than 500 T20Is took place, the most in any calendar year so far.
Apart from the T20 World Cup 2022, which was won by England last month, the year also saw the Aisa Cup and plenty of bilaterals take place.
Having been part of as many as 40 T20 internationals, Team India became the nation with the most T20Is played in 2022.
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Out of those 40 matches, the Men in Blue won 28 encounters and lost ten games, including a humiliating defeat against England in the semi-finals of the ICC event.
One game against South Africa ended in a no-result due to rain, while a T20I in New Zealand was tied in November.
Amidst all this, Indian cricket fans witnessed some outstanding knocks from the Men in Blue throughout the year.
On that note, here are three of the best men's 2022 T20I knocks for India.
#3 Suryakumar Yadav - 68 off 40 vs South Africa in the T20 World Cup in Perth
According to former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir, Suryakumar Yadav's knock of 68 against South Africa in a Super 12 match of the T20 World Cup 2022 was the best T20 innings he has ever witnessed.
Despite Suryakumar's brilliant half-century, India faced a five-wicket defeat. After opting to bat first on a Perth surface that was extremely helpful for the quicker bowlers, India were rocked early.
They were reduced to 49/5 in 8.3 overs when Suryakumar was tasked with rebuilding the Indian innings. At the time, the likes of Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Wayne Parnell, and Lungi Ngidi were palpably on top.
Suryakumar Yadav vs South Africa: 68 (40)
India's other batters vs South Africa : 57 (80)
A special, special player 👏
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On a pitch where all the other Indian batters showed a modicum of application, Suryakumar battled fire with fire and essayed a superlative innings of 68 runs from 40 balls.
Playing his usual exquisite shots, the right-hander clobbered as many as six boundaries and three lusty sixes and struck at a handsome rate of 170.
While Dinesh Karthik and Ravichandran Ashwin did hang around for some time, India's innings was all about SKY, who single-handedly kept the Men in Blue in the game.
Due to his stunning 68, India reached a gritty 133/9 in their 20 overs before failing to defend and losing their first match of the marquee T20I tournament.
#2 Suryakumar Yadav - 117 off 55 vs England in the 3rd T20I in Nottingham
Given the number of flawless T20I innings Suryakumar Yadav played in 2022, there should be a separate feature on it.
However, his best white-ball innings probably came once again in a losing cause during the third T20I between England and India played at Trent Bridge in Nottingham. The innings yet again demonstrated how much the Mumbai lad is above the rest.
After opting to bat first, England rode on Dawid Malan's 77 and Liam Livingstone's 42* and posted a mammoth 215/7 in their 20 overs.
Runs - 117
Balls - 55
Fours - 14
Sixes - 6
An impressive century from Suryakumar Yadav went in vain as England edged past India to secure a consolation win in the third T20I of the series 🔥
#India #SuryakumarYadav #ENGvsIND #Cricket #T20Is https://t.co/slm3JGufnA
India were on the backfoot at the start of the run chase, struggling at 31 for three in five overs and losing all three of Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, and Virat Kohli.
In came Suryakumar, who gave a 360-degree masterclass en route to his marvelous ton, scoring 117 runs off just 55 balls. In a stunning display of brutal but effortless batting, Suryakumar clobbered 14 boundaries and six maximums.
Maneuvering himself according to the fielders, the 31-year-old displayed some exquisite and well-crafted strokeplay and almost single-handedly won the game for India.
His score of 117 was the second-highest individual score by an Indian in T20Is, and, with none of his teammates passing 28, it was one of the best innings you may ever see in a losing cause.
#1 Virat Kohli - 82* off 53 vs Pakistan in the T20 World Cup in Melbourne
In what was probably his best-ever T20 innings so far, Virat Kohli put on a batting masterclass and guided India to a historic win against Pakistan in their opening clash of the T20 World Cup in October.
In front of more than 90,000 riveted spectators at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Kohli came up with a knock for the ages and powered India to a resounding four-wicket win over their archrivals.
Chasing a modest total of 160 on a pitch that had ample help for the quick bowlers, India endured a worrying start. Their top order collapsed like a pack of cards, leaving the side reeling at 31-4.
Alongside Hardik Pandya, Kohli was tasked with reconstructing the Indian innings and getting his side back in the game. And oh boy! He did more than just that. Kohli played a sumptuous 82* from 53 balls for his country, carrying the hopes of nearly a billion fans on his shoulders.
Virat Kohli's 82* vs Pakistan in T20 World Cup - Wisden's Best men's T20I innings of 2022, The King at Top. https://t.co/4mlixj5G77
He paced his innings to perfection, scoring his first 50 runs off 43 balls before unleashing his beast mode and mustering his next 33 runs in just 10 balls.
While Pandya failed to accelerate in the last few overs, Kohli took charge of the opposition bowlers and displayed some magnificent strokeplay.
The former Indian skipper remained unbeaten until the end and saw his side script a remarkable win on the last ball of the innings to commence their tournament on a winning note.