Shreyas Iyer's Spectacular T20I Century Earns Praise from Sunil Gavaskar
Iyer Shines with Maiden T20I Century
In Lucknow, Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar commended T20I captain Shreyas Iyer after he achieved his first T20I century, highlighting his impressive shot selection and ability to accelerate, which he described as a "strong signal" that the 'Sarpanch Sahab' is back in form.
After a stretch of ten innings without a score exceeding fifty, Iyer broke through with a stunning century during a straightforward chase of 172 runs against the West Indies on Wednesday. He reached his fifty in just 28 balls and then quickly surged to his maiden T20I century in only 15 additional balls. Iyer's explosive performance included two fours and a six against Akeal Hosein in the 13th over, followed by three sixes and a four against Matthew Forde in the next over, joining the ranks of cricketing greats like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and others as an all-format centurion for India.
Iyer's success continued at Lucknow's Ekana Stadium, where he previously scored his first IPL century against the Lucknow Super Giants while playing for Punjab Kings. In five T20 matches at this venue, he has amassed 335 runs at a remarkable strike rate exceeding 200, including two centuries and two fifties, with only one dismissal.
On JioStar's 'Cricket Live', Gavaskar praised Iyer's "treat to watch" shot-making and his ability to respond to every delivery. He reflected on Iyer's struggles after taking on the T20I captaincy and emphasized the importance of this significant innings.
"Shreyas Iyer delivered a magnificent performance. He appeared unstoppable, and regardless of the West Indian bowlers' tactics, he had an answer for everything. The shots he executed were a delight to witness, particularly the upper cut off Romario Shepherd, which demonstrated his intent. Since becoming captain of the Indian T20I team, Iyer has faced challenges with his batting," Gavaskar remarked.
"While the team has secured victories recently, his individual performance was a concern. Thus, it was crucial for him to deliver a substantial innings, and he did just that in this first T20I. Iyer took command of the run chase and maintained his momentum through the middle overs. He reached fifty in just 28 balls and then accelerated from 50 to 102 in a mere 15 balls. Questions about Shreyas' batting form on social media have now been silenced. This century is a clear indication that Shreyas Iyer is back to his best," he concluded.
This year, since returning as T20I captain, Iyer has accumulated 511 runs in 17 innings at an average of 39.30 and a strike rate exceeding 149, including one century and two fifties. His best score stands at 102*. This century marked his first fifty-plus score in ten innings, following an 80* against England in July, during which he faced a series of low scores and unfulfilled promising starts.
Iyer is now the third Indian captain, following Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav, to score a T20I century, and he is the only one to achieve this milestone while chasing. The previous highest score by an Indian captain batting second in T20Is was 94* by Virat Kohli against the same team in Hyderabad in 2019.
His 42-ball century ranks as the joint-third fastest T20I century among captains from Test-playing nations, with Zimbabwe's Sikandar Raza holding the record at 33 balls against Gambia in 2024, followed by Rohit Sharma's 35-ball century against Sri Lanka in 2017, and tied with England's Harry Brook's 42-ball century against Sri Lanka this year.
In the match, West Indies' fifties from skipper Shai Hope (52 off 37 balls, including six fours and two sixes) and Sherfane Rutherford (56 off 34 balls, with six fours and three sixes) helped the team reach 171 in 19.1 overs, with Naman Dhir (3/31) and Kuldeep Yadav (2/33) delivering strong four-over spells. During India's chase, after a quick cameo from Abhishek Sharma (21 off 10 balls, with three fours and a six), Ishan Kishan (37* off 27 balls, with five fours) and Shreyas led India to victory with eight wickets remaining and over seven overs to spare.
The second T20I of the series is scheduled for October 11 in Indore.