Kuldeep shines with five-for on birthday; Suryakumar's century as ultimate gift in 3rd T20I vs South Africa

• Kuldeep Yadav secured a historic T20I five-wicket haul on his 29th birthday, becoming the first male cricketer to achieve this feat on their birthday
• Captain Suryakumar Yadav's record-equalling fourth T20I century, scoring 100 off 56 balls, is hailed by Kuldeep as the most cherished birthday gift
• India triumphs over South Africa by 106 runs in the third T20I, with Kuldeep's impressive bowling performance contributing to the series leveling at 1-1

Indian cricketer Kuldeep Yadav celebrated his 29th birthday in style, delivering a record-breaking performance in the third T20I against South Africa.

The left-arm wrist spinner not only became the first male cricketer to secure a T20I five-wicket haul on his birthday but also achieved the distinction of being the second Indian men's cricketer, after Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and the first spinner to accomplish two five-wicket hauls in T20Is.

However, Kuldeep considered captain Suryakumar Yadav's stellar batting display, resulting in a record-equalling fourth T20I century, as the most significant birthday gift. Suryakumar's century laid the foundation for India's formidable total of 201/7, eventually leading to a comprehensive 106-run victory and leveling the three-match T20 series at 1-1.

"I think it was Surya bhai's batting. That was the biggest gift," Kuldeep said when asked to choose the best gift (wickets) among his five. "He batted brilliantly. The way he was batting was great to watch because the pitch was not that easy for batting. It was really a treat to watch him bat," Kuldeep said.