Captain Iyer Hits Century as India Beat West Indies in First T20I at Lucknow

India made a winning start to the T20I series as captain Shreyas Iyer hit a superb century to help his side beat the West Indies by eight wickets at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.

The visitors were unable to build a strong total after being put in to bat first. They were bowled out for 171 in 19.1 overs, with only captain Shai Hope and Sherfane Rutherford managing to put together big scores.

Rutherford played the most attacking innings for the West Indies, hitting 56 from 34 balls. His knock included six fours and three sixes. Hope, meanwhile, scored 52 from 37 deliveries and struck six fours and two sixes.

Apart from them, Akeal Hosein made a quick 15 from 10 balls, helping the visitors finish with a strong total on the board.

From the bowling perspective, India’s attack kept the visitors under pressure throughout the innings. Naman Dhir finished with the best figures of 3/31 in four overs, while Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel picked up two wickets each.  

In the second innings, India made short work of the chase, reaching 172 in only 14.4 overs after losing two wickets.

Captain Iyer was the star of the innings, finishing unbeaten on 102 from 43 balls. He hit ten fours and six sixes during a superb knock that took India comfortably over the line.

Talking about other contributions, Ishan Kishan played an unbeaten knock of 37 from 27 deliveries, including five fours. Besides him, Abhishek Sharma also made a quick contribution, scoring 21 off 10 balls with three fours and a six.

By winning the match, India have taken the lead in the series, showcasing clear dominance on their home turf. West Indies will now try to make a comeback in the next match, which will be played in Ranchi on October 9.