Shreyas Iyer’s 42-Ball Century Fires India Past West Indies

Shreyas Iyer hit an unbeaten 100 from 42 balls to lead India to an eight-wicket victory over West Indies in the opening T20I in Lucknow. Chasing 172, India reached 172/2 with 32 balls remaining after recovering from an early setback, with Iyer completing his maiden T20I century in a commanding finish.

The result extended India’s winning run in T20Is to 10 matches. Iyer, fresh from captaining India to Asian Games gold, took charge after India fell to 35/2 inside the first four overs and combined with Ishan Kishan to turn the chase decisively in the home side’s favour.

West Indies recover before India’s bowlers strike back

After Iyer opted to field, West Indies began positively through Shai Hope and debutant Kamil Pooran. Hope raced to 21 from 12 balls, including five boundaries, with four of those boundaries coming in an expensive over from Mayank Yadav.

India responded before the end of the Powerplay. Arshdeep Singh removed Pooran when the batter chopped a delivery from outside off stump onto his stumps. Axar Patel then made an immediate impact in the final over of the Powerplay. Sanju Samson’s quick work behind the stumps caught Shimron Hetmyer short of his ground, before Axar bowled Rovman Powell two balls later to complete a double-wicket maiden.

West Indies finished the Powerplay on 41/3, but Hope and Sherfane Rutherford rebuilt effectively. The pair took the score to 82/3 after 10 overs, then accelerated by taking 18 runs from Axar’s next over. Their 50-run partnership arrived from 30 balls.

Hope reached his half-century from 36 balls, but was caught for 56 by Axar on the boundary after adding 63 with Rutherford. Roston Chase and Romario Shepherd then fell in successive stages of the innings, while Ishan Kishan produced a sliding, back-handed catch at deep mid-wicket to dismiss Matthew Forde.

Naman Dhir continued an impressive debut by taking Shamar Springer for his third wicket. At 135/8 with four overs left, West Indies needed a late lift, and Rutherford and Akeal Hosein delivered one. Hosein, playing his 100th T20I, shared an 18-ball partnership worth 36 with Rutherford. Rutherford was eventually dismissed for 56 from the final ball of the 19th over, having struck four fours and two sixes. Axar took the last wicket with the first ball of the final over as West Indies finished on 171.

Iyer and Kishan take control of the chase

India began aggressively, with Abhishek Sharma and Samson taking 15 runs from the opening over. West Indies soon hit back through spin, however. Roston Chase removed Abhishek for 21 from 10 balls, with Hetmyer taking the catch, before Akeal Hosein dismissed Samson. India were 35/2 after 3.3 overs.

Iyer and Kishan then changed the course of the match. The pair found regular boundaries and maintained a scoring rate close to 10 an over as India rebuilt. Iyer was especially severe on Romario Shepherd in the ninth over, taking 19 runs from it, including 16 in boundaries.

Iyer brought up his half-century from 28 balls, his 11th in the format and first in 10 innings. With the field spread, he accelerated further. In the 14th over, he struck three sixes and a four to collect 24 runs and move to 95.

Two balls into the 15th over, Iyer launched Chase over long-on to reach his century from 42 balls. The hundred was his first in T20Is and became the fourth-highest score by an Indian captain in men’s T20Is. He added a single from the next delivery to complete the chase and seal the eight-wicket win.

India and West Indies now move to Ranchi for the second T20I on 9 October, before further matches in Indore, Hyderabad and Bengaluru.