India captain Shreyas Iyer produced a spectacular unbeaten century against the West Indies in Lucknow on Tuesday, guiding India to an eight-wicket victory in the opening T20I of the five-match series.
Iyer smashed 102 not out from 43 balls, including 10 fours and six sixes, as India chased down West Indies’ target of 172 with 32 balls remaining. His century came off just 42 deliveries and was the fastest T20I hundred by an Indian batter against the West Indies.
Iyer turns pressure into a match-winning innings
India’s chase did not begin perfectly. Abhishek Sharma scored 21 before being dismissed, while Sanju Samson fell for 11, leaving India at 35/2.
Iyer then took control of the innings. He combined with Ishan Kishan to rebuild the chase before launching an aggressive assault on the West Indies bowling attack.
Iyer reached his fifty from 28 balls and accelerated dramatically in the second half of his innings. He moved from 50 to 101 in only 14 balls, eventually completing his maiden T20I century with a six.
Ishan Kishan remained unbeaten on 39 as the pair added an unbeaten 137-run partnership, taking India to 172/2 in only 14.4 overs.
“Winning tastes different,” says Iyer
After the match, Iyer described the century and victory as a particularly special moment.
The India captain said he had been thinking about scoring his maiden T20I century and was delighted that the milestone finally arrived. He also reflected on the satisfaction of finishing the match himself, saying, “Winning tastes different.”
The performance was especially notable because Iyer had returned to India shortly after India’s gold-medal campaign at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan. Reports said he was dealing with jet lag following the quick turnaround.
West Indies post 171 despite early setbacks
West Indies were sent in to bat first and were reduced to 44/3 during the powerplay.
Captain Shai Hope steadied the innings with a half-century, scoring 52, while Sherfane Rutherford added 56 from 34 balls. Their partnership helped West Indies recover from a difficult start and reach 171.
India’s bowlers eventually restricted the visitors to 171 all out in 19.1 overs. Naman Dhir made an immediate impact on his T20I debut with three wickets, while Kuldeep Yadav claimed two.
A landmark century for India’s captain
The century was Iyer’s first in T20 internationals and also placed him among the small group of Indian captains to reach three figures in the format.
According to current match reports, Iyer became only the third India captain to score a T20I century, joining Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav. His century was also the first by an Indian captain while chasing a target in a T20I.
For India, the result means a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. The team also extended its current T20I winning run to 10 matches.
India make a strong start to the series
The victory gave India an emphatic opening result against the West Indies, with Iyer’s innings dominating the night in Lucknow.
For the West Indies, the challenge now is to regroup before the second match of the series. India, meanwhile, will take confidence from both its bowling recovery and the extraordinary finish provided by its captain.
Iyer’s 102 not out was ultimately the defining performance of the match — a century that combined a major personal milestone with a decisive team victory.
