Shreyas Iyer delivered a masterful performance, scoring an unbeaten 102 off 43 balls to lead India to a convincing eight-wicket victory against the West Indies in the opening T20I at the BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Tuesday. In a dominant display of batting, the Indian captain reached his maiden T20I century in just 42 balls, which stands as the fastest century by an Indian against the West Indies in this format and the second-fastest overall against the side, trailing only Tim David’s 37-ball effort from 2025. This historic innings eclipsed Iyer’s previous T20I best of 80 not out against England earlier this year. Bettering KL Rahul’s 46-ball hundred in Lauderhill in 2016, iyer’s century was also the fastest by an Indian against West Indies in T20Is. The 102 not out also surpassed Iyer’s previous best T20I score of 80 not out against England in Bristol earlier in 2026. And it was only his second half-century since taking over the captaincy from Suryakumar Yadav, iyer brought up his 11th T20I fifty in just 28 balls. He received a loud ovation from the Ekana crowd as he took control of the chase following the early loss of both Indian openers. Rather than allowing the early setbacks to slow the chase, Iyer continued to attack and found boundaries with regularity.
The match chase was effectively controlled by Iyer after the early departures of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson, who contributed 21 and 11 respectively. India reached 62/2 by the end of the powerplay. Ishan Kishan provided crucial stability, partnering with his captain to put on a match-winning 137 runs off 68 balls. During this stand, Kishan surpassed the 3,000-run milestone in international cricket. Kishan was eventually dismissed for 37 off 27 deliveries, but the target was firmly in sight, with India securing the win in just 14.4 overs to finish on 172/2. Needing 70 from 60 balls, but the equation quickly became academic as Iyer accelerated, india were 102/2 at the halfway stage.
A moment of tension occurred when Iyer appeared to edge a delivery from Shamar Springer toward Matthew Forde at square leg. Although an on-field not-out decision stood, the third umpire reviewed the footage, which confirmed the ball hit the grass before Forde could secure the catch. The incident left the West Indies coaching staff clearly frustrated, with head coach Daren Sammy seen expressing his dissatisfaction from the dugout. Confirming that the catch had not been completed, replays showed the ball touching the ground between Forde’s fingers.
West Indies had earlier posted a total of 171 all out in 19.1 overs after being put in to bat. Debuting spinner Naman Dhir made an immediate impact, recording figures of 3/31, which marks the third-best return for an Indian spinner on debut. Axar Patel also proved difficult to score against, delivering a spell that moved him closer to Indian records for maiden overs in T20Is; he now holds four wicket-maidens within the powerplay, ranking only behind Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s six.
The visitors initially showed promise as Shai Hope took 16 runs off Mayank Yadav in the second over. However, the Indian bowling attack struck back quickly during the powerplay, removing Kamil Pooran for 12, Shimron Hetmyer for five, and Rovman Powell for a duck, reducing the West Indies to 44/3. Hetmyer’s run-out incident was notable as it marked his seventh in the format, setting a new record for the most run-outs suffered by a West Indian player in T20Is.
Shai Hope played the role of the anchor, striking 52 from 36 balls for his 13th T20I half-century, and shared a 63-run partnership with Sherfane Rutherford, who contributed a valuable 56. Hope was eventually caught by Axar off the bowling of Dhir immediately after reaching his milestone. Despite the resistance, the West Indies innings folded in 19.1 overs, leaving India with a chase they navigated with considerable ease. With the pair adding an unbeaten 38-run stand to take West Indies to 82/3 at the drinks break, hope then steadied the innings alongside Sherfane Rutherford.
Iyer now becomes the third Indian captain to record a century in men’s T20Is, joining teammates Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav in an exclusive group. This victory marks a significant start to the series for India, underscored by both captaincy and individual brilliance under pressure.
