Indian T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav added another milestone to his career on Saturday after earning his sixth Player of the Series award in T20 Internationals, following India’s emphatic 46-run victory in the fifth and final T20I against New Zealand in Thiruvananthapuram. India sealed the five-match series 4-1, extending their dominant run in the format ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

With this achievement, Suryakumar moved to second place on the list of players with the most Player of the Series awards in T20Is. He now trails only Virat Kohli, who tops the list with seven such awards, and is level with Sri Lankan all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga, who also has six.

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The award capped a memorable series for the Indian skipper, who entered the contest after enduring a lean patch of 23 innings without a half-century. Suryakumar responded in style, scoring three fifties in the series and finishing as the leading run-getter with 242 runs at an average of 80.66 and a strike rate of over 196. His performances also made him the Player of the Series in India’s final assignment before the T20 World Cup.

Speaking after the match, Suryakumar reflected on his journey through a difficult phase and the patience that paid off. “It has been a long year and a long wait for moments like this. I have always dreamed about when this time would come. I just kept doing the same things I had been doing over the last year and stuck to my routines. I knew I was not out of form, just out of runs. It has been a very good series, and going into the World Cup feeling like this is really special,” he said.

In the final T20I, India won the toss and opted to bat first but lost Sanju Samson early for a single-digit score. Abhishek Sharma then provided a quick start with 30 off 16 balls, hitting four boundaries and two sixes, before departing with the score at 48 for two. The turning point came through a commanding 137-run partnership between Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav, which completely shifted the momentum. Kishan smashed a scintillating 103 off 43 balls with six fours and 10 sixes, while Suryakumar contributed 63 off 30 deliveries, including four boundaries and six sixes. A late blitz from Hardik Pandya, who struck 42 off 17 balls with one four and four sixes, powered India to a massive total of 271 for five.

New Zealand’s bowlers struggled on a tough night, with Lockie Ferguson emerging as the most successful bowler with figures of 2 for 41. Jacob Duffy, Kyle Jamieson and Mitchell Santner picked up one wicket each but conceded heavily in the process.

In reply, New Zealand lost Tim Seifert early but mounted a brief challenge through a century partnership between Finn Allen and Rachin Ravindra. Allen scored a rapid 80 off 38 balls with eight fours and six sixes, while Ravindra added 30 off 17 balls with two fours and two sixes. However, India’s bowlers quickly regained control as Arshdeep Singh delivered a five-wicket haul, finishing with figures of 5 for 51, while Axar Patel supported him with 3 for 33. The visitors were eventually bowled out for 225 after being reduced to 191 for nine at one stage.

India’s 46-run win not only wrapped up a convincing 4-1 series victory but also ensured the team heads into the T20 World Cup unbeaten in recent bilateral series, with Suryakumar Yadav regaining top form at a crucial time.

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