His journey to international cricket was anything but hunky dory. Even after years of piling up runs in domestic cricket and the IPL, Suryakumar had to wait until 2021 to earn his India debut, making him a rare late entrant at the top level. His name had been discussed before, but the call finally came when India were desperate for fresh thinking to address their T20 World Cup struggles. The team management saw something different in him — a batter who could improvise and change the tempo at will. Once he got his chance, Suryakumar’s fearless mindset and ability to score in every part of the ground made an immediate impact, capped off by a memorable first hit for six.

He soon became a crowd favourite and, within a year, rose to the top of the ICC T20I batting rankings in 2022, marking a sharp ascent in international cricket. Although his returns in the 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cups were modest, his impact in bilateral series during that phase was hard to ignore. He consistently delivered when it mattered, often shaping games on his own. Those performances kept him firmly in the selectors’ plans and ensured he remained one of the first names on the team sheet in the shortest format, despite the scrutiny that followed his World Cup outings.

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He created history by becoming the first player to be named ICC T20I Cricketer of the Year in consecutive seasons, winning the honour in 2022 and 2023. The 2022 season stood out as the finest of his career, as he piled up 1,164 runs across 31 matches, highlighted by two memorable centuries.

It was in the 2024 T20 World Cup final that Suryakumar carved out a special place in cricketing folklore with a moment that turned the game on its head. Positioned at long-on, he showed remarkable awareness and balance near the ropes to pull off a stunning catch in the final over, dismissing David Miller and sealing a historic win for India. That single act changed the course of his career. Soon after the World Cup triumph, Suryakumar was handed full-time charge of India’s T20 side following Rohit Sharma’s decision to step aside. While his own returns with the bat have been inconsistent since, his impact as a leader has been undeniable. Under his captaincy, India have won six bilateral T20 series on the trot and also lifted the T20 Asia Cup last year, reinforcing his growing influence in the format.

With his 100th T20I around the corner, the spotlight is firmly on him to rediscover his touch ahead of the home T20 World Cup. India’s recent struggles to sustain an ultra-attacking approach have only underlined how vital his form is to the side. As the tournament draws closer, the team will be hoping their most dynamic batter finds his rhythm again and stamps his authority on the biggest stage.