Shreyas Iyer ended his wait for a maiden international T20 century in spectacular fashion, powering India to an emphatic eight-wicket victory over the West Indies in the opening match of the five-game series in Lucknow.
Chasing 172 for victory, India reached 175 for two in only 14.4 overs, with 32 deliveries still unused. Iyer remained unbeaten on 100 from 42 balls and completed the victory with a single off the following delivery after Roston Chase’s over. India consequently moved 1-0 ahead in the series.
The result extended India’s successful run against the West Indies in the limited-overs leg of the contest. India had already secured the preceding ODI series 2-1 and carried that momentum into the T20I opener.
India’s chase initially appeared less comfortable than the final margin suggested. The hosts lost both openers inside 3.3 overs, leaving them at 35 for two. Iyer then walked in at number three alongside Ishan Kishan, and the match soon began to swing decisively towards India.
While Kishan remained at the crease, Iyer took charge of the scoring. He reached his half-century in just 28 deliveries, with eight fours already in his account. Once past fifty, the Indian captain shifted gears dramatically.
The next 14 balls produced six sixes. Three of them came in Matthew Forde’s 14th over, as Iyer repeatedly cleared the boundary and put the West Indies attack under severe pressure.
He reached his century from 42 deliveries, bringing up his first hundred in international T20 cricket. The achievement also placed him among a select group of Indian captains to have scored a T20I century. He became the third after Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav to reach three figures in the format while leading India.
Before this innings, Iyer’s highest score in international T20 cricket had been 80. His unbeaten hundred therefore represented a significant personal milestone, while also providing India with a near-perfect start to the series.
Iyer was supported by Kishan, who finished unbeaten on 37 from 27 balls. The pair put together an unbeaten 137-run partnership, completely recovering from India’s early setbacks and taking the chase beyond reach well before the scheduled end of the innings.
Lucknow’s Ekana Stadium has also emerged as a particularly productive venue for Iyer in T20 cricket. Across five T20 appearances at the ground for India and in the Indian Premier League, he has been dismissed only once. He has now scored centuries in successive T20 appearances at the venue, with his strike rate there standing at 200.59.
Earlier, the West Indies were dismissed for 171 in 19.1 overs after being put into bat. Captain Shai Hope provided the foundation with a composed 52 from 37 balls, while Sherfane Rutherford struck 56 off 34 deliveries to give the visitors a competitive total.
India’s debutant off-spinner Naman Dhir also made an immediate impression. He returned figures of three wickets for 31 runs, helping India restrict the West Indies before they could build a bigger total.
The visitors had moments of resistance, particularly through Hope and Rutherford, but their 171 proved insufficient once Iyer launched his assault. India’s early loss of wickets briefly offered the West Indies an opportunity, yet the partnership between Iyer and Kishan erased any uncertainty in emphatic fashion.
For India, the victory was not merely about taking an early lead in the series. Iyer’s century added another significant milestone to his international career and demonstrated his ability to dictate a T20 chase from the number-three position.
The second T20I will be played in Ranchi next Friday, with India taking a 1-0 lead into the next encounter.
