Shreyas Iyer led from the front with a brilliant, unbeaten 102 off 43 balls, steering India to a comprehensive eight-wicket win against West Indies in the opening T20I held in Lucknow. Chasing a target of 172, the hosts reached their goal in just 14.4 overs, marking their 10th consecutive T20I victory. Iyer’s maiden century was characterized by 10 fours and six sixes, complemented by an unbroken 137-run partnership with Ishan Kishan, who remained not out on 37. With Ishan Kishan (37* off 27) supporting his skipper in an unbroken 137-run stand for the third wicket to take India over the line, iyer’s maiden T20I ton included 6 sixes and 10 fours as India raced to the target in only 14.4 overs. 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. By the end of the 10th over, India had moved to 102 for 2, needing only 70 more in the second half.
India’s chase began with aggression as Abhishek Sharma struck 21 off 10 balls before falling to Roston Chase. Following Sanju Samson’s dismissal by Akeal Hosein for a low score, India found themselves at 35 for 2. Iyer stabilized the innings, accelerating through the Powerplay to reach 62 for 2. Despite a brief lull, the captain shifted gears, particularly after Kishan received a reprieve when a catch by Matthew Forde was overturned by the third umpire. Iyer’s blistering display included a sequence of heavy scoring against Forde and Hosein, culminating in a 42-ball hundred, the second-fastest T20I ton by an Indian captain. Leaving India at 35 for 2 in the fourth over, samson handed a catch back to Hosein in the next over. 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. 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. 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.
West Indies had earlier posted 171 all out in 19.1 overs after being put in to bat. Shai Hope anchored the innings with a 36-ball 50, supported by Sherfane Rutherford, who smashed 56 off 31 deliveries. The visitors appeared set for a larger total at 107 for 3 before a collapse triggered by debutant Naman Dhir, who claimed 3 for 31. Kuldeep Yadav also made significant inroads, dismantling the middle and lower order with his spin bowling.
The West Indies lineup struggled to maintain momentum against India’s disciplined bowling attack. Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel were instrumental in restricting the visitors, with Axar notably delivering a maiden over during the Powerplay. Although Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell departed cheaply, a 36-run partnership between Rutherford and Hosein towards the death overs provided the West Indies with a respectable final score.
The match concluded with a convincing display of dominance by the home side, highlighted by Iyer’s clinical strike rate and the bowling unit’s ability to restrict the West Indies despite their late-order resilience. The brief scores reflected the one-sided nature of the result: West Indies finished at 171, while India comfortably chased down the target to finish at 172 for 2.
