February fare: The top 3 T20I batting performances
February 2022 was jam-packed cricketing action all the way, with quite a number of exciting T20I series and tournaments taking place.
India featured in two white-ball series at home. The Rohit Sharma-led side hosted West Indies and Sri Lanka - handing both 0-3 white-washings in the T20Is. Prior to their three-match series in India, the Lankan side toured Down Under for a five-match T20I series. Australia won that particular series rather comfortably, 4-1.
In the middle of all the bilateral series, the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Qualifier A 2022 was also held last month. The qualifiers began on February 18 with the final - between the UAE and Ireland - taking place on February 24.
With so many high-octane T20I encounters, numerous batters shone and put in spectacular performances. Here, we take a look at three top-quality batting displays in T20Is in February. On that note, let's get started:
#3. Suryakumar Yadav's 65 off 31 vs West Indies in the 3rd T20I
Suryakumar Yadav played a couple of quick-fire but crucial knocks for Team India in the T20I series against the West Indies. However, in the dead rubber on February 20, he took his game to another level. The right-hander mustered 65 runs in just 31 balls at the Eden in Kolkata.
Being put to bat first, India didn't get an ideal start. They lost Ruturaj Gaikwad in the third over before Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan put together 53 runs to steady the ship. However, the Windies spinners spun a web around the duo, resulting in two quick wickets.
What a marvelous knock by Suryakumar Yadav - 65 (31) with 7 sixes. Totally destroyed the West Indies bowling unit with his amazing batting, he's been exceptional since his debut for India. https://t.co/a9HODyBlKS
This brought Suryakumar out at the halfway stage of the innings. The Mumbai batter showed the opposition no mercy, going after the bowlers from the word go. He found an able partner in Venkatesh Iyer, and the duo propelled the hosts to a challenging total of 184.
Suryakumar reached his fourth T20I fifty in just 27 balls, unleashing his brute power and clobbering as many as seven maximums (and a four). Prowling around the crease and finding gaps at will, the 31-year-old finished his knock with an immaculate strike rate of 210.
Scalping wickets at regular intervals, India successfully defended their total and handed the West Indies a 0-3 whitewash. Suryakumar was adjudged both Player of the Match and Player of the Series.
#2. Shreyas Iyer's 74* off 44 vs Sri Lanka in the 2nd T20I
Shreyas Iyer had a phenomenal T20I series against Sri Lanka, to say the least. In a hugely successful series, he was not dismissed across the three matches, hitting 57* off 28, 73* off 45, and 74* off 44. In total, he hammered seven sixes and 20 fours in the series.
However, it was his innings in the second T20I which came at the most crucial juncture for India.
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Asked to bat first, Sri Lanka posted a competitive total of 183 for five in their 20 overs. In reply, India lost both their openers inside the powerplay. Brimming with pace, the Lankan bowlers asked a lot of questions of the Indian batters. Iyer appeared as though he was batting on a different track from Rohit Sharma, who lost his wicket early on, and Ishan Kishan, who looked like a shell of himself against sheer pace.
Iyer, who commanded India's chase from the front, hit six boundaries and four maximums in his innings. The Kolkata Knight Riders skipper shrewdly maneuvered the field and stroked the ball with power and finesse.
Iyer stitched two partnerships of 84 and 56* with Sanju Samson and Ravindra Jadeja, respectively. The left-hander hit the winning runs to register a seven-wicket victory for the Men in Blue.
#1. waseem-muhammad" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Muhammad Waseem's 112 off 66 vs Ireland
While both the UAE and Ireland had already secured their berths in the T20 World Cup 2022, the two sides met in the final of the qualifying tournament.
Electing to bat first, Ireland had a dodgy start losing both their openers inside the powerplay for the first time in the tournament. However, with Harry Tector's half-century and cameos from Shane Getkate and Mark Adair, Ireland posted a total of 159 runs in their 20 overs.
The UAE stumbled early as Chirag Suri and Vriitya Aravind - the tournament's highest run-scorer - fell in the space of three balls to Josh Little.
Opener Muhammad Waseem’s swashbuckling knock of 112 powered UAE to a seven-wicket win with eight balls to spare
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Opener Muhammad Waseem, however, remained unperturbed, taking charge and playing his natural game to perfection. The right-hander served as the aggressor in a historic 141-run partnership with Rohan Mustafa, UAE's highest stand for any wicket in T20Is.
In just his 12th T20I match, Waseem scored his second T20I century, striking as many as seven boundaries and eight sixes. The 28-year old smashed 112 runs in 66 balls with a strike rate of just shy of 170.
Mustafa, who scored 37* runs, knocked off the final seven runs, clinching victory with eight balls to spare. Scoring 70 percent of his team's total runs, Waseem was adjudged Player of the Match.