Shreyas Iyer powers India with maiden T20I century to eight-wicket victory over West Indies at Ekana in Lucknow

Shreyas Iyer produced a stunning display of aggressive batting to score his maiden T20I century and lead his side to a crushing eight-wicket victory over West Indies. The maiden record came in the opening match of the series at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. The Indian captain’s unbeaten 102 off just 43 balls, featuring 10 fours and six sixes at a strike rate of over 237, guided India to a target of 172 in only 14.4 overs, sealing the win with 32 balls remaining and taking a 1-0 lead. 

Shreyas Iyer powers India with maiden T20I century to eight-wicket victory over West Indies at Ekana in Lucknow; Naman Dhir shines in his debut

For West Indies, the result will be a disappointment after a promising start. Hope and Rutherford showed fight, but the middle-order collapse and the inability of the bowling attack to contain Iyer proved costly. Akeal Hosein and Roston Chase were the only bowlers to pick up wickets, finishing with 1 for 37 each, as the Indian captain dismantled the attack. The five-match series continues later this week, with India carrying significant momentum.

Shreyas Iyer records maiden T20I century in Ekana

Iyer played decently as a batter but failed as a captain for his national side. Coming into the series under some scrutiny after a lean run that had seen him go without a half-century in his previous 10 T20I appearances, Iyer answered his critics with the stunning century today. The Punjab Kings batter reached his hundred off 42 deliveries with an unbelievable six over long-on off Roston Chase. Following this, he became the third Indian captain after Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav to score a century in men’s T20 Internationals.

Iyer made several records with this century. It was also the fastest T20I hundred by an Indian against West Indies, bettering KL Rahul’s previous mark. In addition to this, it was also the highest score of Iyer’s career in the format, surpassing his previous best of 80 not out against England earlier this year. 

West Indies recorded 171 all out in 19.1 overs with Shai Hope providing a solid form with 52, while Sherfane Rutherford contributed a valuable 56. However, it couldn't save them from the loss. India’s spinners choked the middle order as debutant off-spinner Naman Dhir made an immediate impact, returning excellent figures of 3 for 31. Axar Patel claimed 2 for 26, including a double-wicket maiden at the end of the powerplay that reduced the visitors to 44 for three, while Kuldeep Yadav took 2 for 33. The opponents slumped from 107 for three to 135 for eight before Rutherford’s late hitting pushed them to a competitive total. 

Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson departed soon but no problem

India’s chase began uncertainly as Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson departed from the pitch sooner than expected, leaving the hosts at 35 for two inside the powerplay. The early setbacks could have tested a less composed side, but Iyer and Ishan Kishan fired back in the innings. The pair added an unbroken 137 runs for the third wicket off just 67 balls, contributing to the victory. Kishan played the perfect role alongside Iyer with an unbeaten 37 off 27 deliveries. The performance carried extra weight for Iyer as he had scored his maiden Indian Premier League century at the same Ekana Stadium earlier in the year while playing for Punjab Kings against Lucknow Super Giants. 

Naman Dhir shines in his dream debut 

Naman Dhir is someone everyone has been talking about following the victory. His debut was equally noteworthy as Iyer’s maiden T20 century at Ekana. The young all-rounder bounced back repeatedly after being hit for sixes. He bagged three wickets in successive overs, helping the spinners take seven of the ten West Indies wickets. 

India vs West Indies T20 schedule 

With the first T20 match won against West Indies in Lucknow, India is all set to face the next on Friday, October 9, in Ranchi. It will be followed by a match on Sunday, October 11, in Indore. The last two matches will be next week on Wednesday, October 14, in Hyderabad and Saturday, October 17, in Bengaluru. All the matches are set to begin at 7:00 PM IST. 

India recently beat West Indies in ODI series

India is coming off beating West Indies 2-1 in an ODI series, with the hosts winning it by five wickets. Meanwhile, after the match, both teams were fined for maintaining slow over rates during their third ODI. India was fined 20% of their match fees, while the West Indies were fined 10%. 

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