India opened their five-match T20I series against West Indies with an eight-wicket win in Lucknow. Shreyas Iyer led the chase with an unbeaten 102 off 43 balls. India reached 172/2 in 14.4 overs after West Indies posted 171 all out in 19.1 overs.
West Indies had useful contributions from Shai Hope and Sherfane Rutherford. India’s bowlers also kept taking wickets at key stages, with Naman Dhir claiming three on his T20I debut.
The match then turned into a memorable night for Iyer. Here is how both innings unfolded, along with the records behind his maiden T20I century.
West Indies Post 171 After Strong Starts From Hope and Rutherford
West Indies started their innings against a disciplined Indian attack. India reduced them to 44/3 in 5.5 overs, putting early pressure on the visitors.
Shai Hope then rebuilt the innings with Sherfane Rutherford. Hope scored 52 off 37 balls, hitting six fours and two sixes. Rutherford added 56 off 34 balls, with six fours and three sixes.
The pair added 63 runs from 35 balls for the fourth wicket. Their partnership moved West Indies from 44/3 to 107/4 and gave the innings some stability.
Rutherford continued attacking after Hope’s dismissal. He also added useful runs with Akeal Hosein, who made 15 off nine balls. West Indies eventually lost their final six wickets for 64 runs and finished on 171 all out.
Naman Dhir made the biggest impact with the ball. He finished with 3/31 from four overs, while Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav took two wickets each.
India Chase 172 With Shreyas Iyer’s Brilliant 102*
India began the chase with a good start but lost both openers within four overs. Abhishek Sharma scored 21 off 10 balls, while Sanju Samson made 11 off nine. West Indies had India at 35/2 after 3.3 overs.
Ishan Kishan then joined Iyer and helped India rebuild the chase. Iyer attacked from the other end quickly and kept the scoreboard moving.
Iyer reached his fifty from 28 balls and continued to hit boundaries. He then reached his century from 42 balls, bringing up his first T20I hundred with a six off Roston Chase.
Iyer finished unbeaten on 102 off 43 balls, with 10 fours and six sixes. Ishan remained unbeaten on 37 off 27 balls as the pair added 137 runs off 67 balls.
India completed the chase at 172/2 in 14.4 overs. The result gave India a 1-0 lead in the five-match series, with 32 balls still unused.
Shreyas Iyer Creates History With His Maiden T20I Century
The century marked Iyer’s first hundred in T20Is. It also became his highest score in the format, surpassing his previous best of 80* against England earlier in 2026.
Iyer also became the third Indian captain to score a T20I century. Rohit Sharma has three such hundreds, while Suryakumar Yadav has one.
His unbeaten 102 also created a major record for Indian captains. Iyer became the first Indian captain to score a T20I century in a successful run chase.
He also surpassed Virat Kohli’s 94* against West Indies in Hyderabad in 2019. That made Iyer’s 102* the highest score by an Indian captain while batting second in a T20I.
The century arrived in 42 balls, making it the fastest T20I hundred by an Indian against West Indies. Iyer moved past KL Rahul’s 46-ball century against the same opposition in 2016.
Shreyas Iyer Joins an Elite Captaincy List with 42- Ball Century
Iyer’s 42-ball hundred also placed him among the third-fastest T20I centurions by captains from Full Member teams.
His effort matched England captain Harry Brook’s 42-ball century against Sri Lanka earlier in 2026. Only Sikandar Raza and Rohit Sharma are ahead of Iyer on the list.
The record becomes even more notable because Iyer achieved it during a successful chase. His innings also came after India had lost both openers for only 35 runs.
Iyer controlled the chase alongside Ishan Kishan. Their unbeaten 137-run stand ranks among India’s joint-highest 3rd-wicket partnerships in a T20I run chase.
Iyer and Kishan also broke India’s previous third-wicket T20I record of 137 runs, set by Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan in January 2026, while playing against New Zealand.
What Shreyas Iyer’s 102* Adds to His T20I Career
The century gave Iyer a new high point in his T20I batting record. His previous best was 80*, which he scored against England in Bristol earlier this year.
The innings also took Iyer beyond 1,500 T20I runs and added another major milestone to his international career. His 102* came at a strike rate of 237.21, with 16 boundaries in total.
Iyer also reached the three-figure mark while leading India in only his first T20I series against West Indies as captain. His innings therefore combined a personal milestone with several captaincy records.
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Conclusion
Shreyas Iyer turned India’s first T20I against West Indies into a memorable personal milestone. His maiden T20I century also helped India take an early series lead.
West Indies had enough contributions to reach 171, but India’s chase quickly moved away from them. Iyer’s unbeaten 102 and the 137-run stand with Ishan Kishan settled the contest.
For Iyer, the night brought his first T20I hundred and several records as India’s captain. It also gave India a strong start to the five-match series.
