Shreyas Iyer delivered a masterful performance, scoring an unbeaten 102 off 43 deliveries to guide India to an eight-wicket win over the West Indies in the opening T20I in Lucknow. The Indian skipper’s maiden T20I century, characterized by 10 fours and 6 sixes, helped the hosts chase down a target of 172 in just 14.4 overs. Supported by Ishan Kishan’s 37 off 27 balls, the pair forged an unbroken 137-run partnership for the third wicket to secure India’s 10th consecutive T20I victory. As Iyer hit three fours and Kishan got a boundary, west Indies tried to slow things down with a couple of quiet overs but an expensive 19-run over from Romario Shepherd followed.
India’s chase began with intent, as Abhishek Sharma hit 21 off 10 balls before falling to Roston Chase. Following the departure of Sanju Samson, who managed a boundary before being caught by Akeal Hosein, the side found themselves at 35 for 2 in the fourth over. Iyer took charge during the remainder of the Powerplay, elevating the score to 62 for 2. Despite a brief mid-innings lull, Iyer accelerated, eventually reaching his milestone with a massive strike over long-on. His knock stands as the second-fastest century by an Indian captain in the format, trailing only Rohit Sharma’s 35-ball effort from 2017. Striking four boundaries to take India to 62 for 2 after six overs, iyer ensured that the remainder of the Powerplay remained profitable in terms of runs. By the end of the 10th over, India had moved to 102 for 2, needing only 70 more in the second half. Registering the second quickest T20I ton by an Indian captain after Rohit Sharma’s 35-ball effort against Sri Lanka in 2017, he got to a 42-ball hundred by depositing Chase over long-on.
Earlier, West Indies captain Shai Hope led his side to a respectable 171 all out in 19.1 overs. Hope contributed 52 off 36 balls, while Sherfane Rutherford added a rapid 56 from 31 deliveries. Despite their efforts, the visitors struggled against the Indian bowling attack, particularly debutant Naman Dhir, who claimed impressive figures of 3-31. Key contributions also came from the spin department, as Axar Patel bowled a tight spell and Kuldeep Yadav consistently disrupted the middle order.
The West Indies innings saw early aggression from Hope, who took four boundaries off Mayank Yadav in the second over. However, regular wickets stifled their momentum. After the departure of Kamil Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer was run out for 5, and Rovman Powell was dismissed for a duck by Axar Patel. The innings faced a significant collapse, sliding from 107 for 3 to 135 for 8. A late 36-run stand between Rutherford and Hosein provided some stability, pushing the total past 170 before both were eventually removed by Mayank and Axar respectively. Getting a couple of boundaries before Arshdeep Singh ended his stay in the fifth over, kamil Pooran looked promising at the other end.
For the Indian team, Ishan Kishan provided crucial stability at the non-striker’s end, notably benefiting from a review when the third umpire ruled that Matthew Forde failed to secure a catch cleanly. The dominance of the home side was complete, with Iyer hitting the winning single to seal the game in the 15th over. The final match summary saw West Indies finish at 171 in 19.1 overs, while India responded with 172/2. After which Kishan got a lucky break as the third umpire felt Forde didn’t get his fingers under the ball while taking a diving catch at sweeper cover in Shamar Springer’s over, iyer went on to bring up a 28-ball fifty.
