On January 31, 2026, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav cemented his legacy as a T20 legend by shattering a massive world record during the final T20I against New Zealand in Thiruvananthapuram. His record-breaking performance has set the perfect stage for India’s title defense as the team preparing for the T20 World Cup 2026which kicks off on February 7.

Suryakumar Yadav rewrites record books in IND vs NZ 5th T20I

Suryakumar Yadav has officially become the fastest batter in T20I history to reach 3,000 runs in terms of balls faced. He reached the milestone in just 1,822 balls, comfortably surpassing the previous record of 1,947 balls held by UAE’s Muhammad Waseem. With this achievement, he joins an elite club as only the third Indian to cross 3,000 T20I runs, following in the footsteps of legends Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Notably, he reached the mark significantly faster than his predecessors, with Rohit taking 2,149 balls and Kohli requiring 2,169 balls to reach the same milestone.

Fastest to 3,000 T20I Runs (By Balls Faced):

• Suryakumar Yadav (India): 1,822 balls
• Muhammad Waseem (UAE): 1,947 balls
• Jos Buttler (England): 2,068 balls
• Aaron Finch (Australia): 2,077 balls
• David Warner (Australia): 2,113 balls

Dominance at Greenfield International Stadium during IND vs NZ 5th T20I

The record-breaking moment arrived during a blistering knock of 63 runs off just 30 deliveries, where the Indian skipper unleashed his trademark 360-degree stroke play. Suryakumar brought up the landmark with a boundary off Lockie Ferguson in the 13th over, part of a destructive 137-run partnership with Ishan Kishan that dismantled the Kiwi bowling attack. His innings was laced with four boundaries and six towering sixes, maintaining a career strike rate of over 165, which remains the highest among all batters in the 3,000-run club.

This record serves as a fiery warning to opponents just seven days before the T20 World Cup 2026 begins. After navigating a brief lean patch earlier in the year, Suryakumar’s return to peak form is a massive boost for the defending champions. His ability to rotate strike against spin and punish pace at will was on full display in Thiruvananthapuram, particularly during a sequence where he took 23 runs off a single over from Jacob Duffy. As India prepares to host the marquee event, their captain is entering the tournament as the most efficient and dangerous weapon in the shortest format of the game.