NEW DELHI: Shreyas Iyer‘s maiden T20I century came at a crucial juncture in his captaincy, and the sublime knock has silenced questions over his batting form, according to India great Sunil Gavaskar.Iyer had crossed the 50-run mark only twice since taking over as India’s T20I captain in June, but he produced a stunning response in the opening match of the five-game series against the West Indies in Lucknow on Tuesday.The right-hander smashed an unbeaten 102 off just 43 balls, including a rapid acceleration after reaching his fifty in 28 deliveries, to guide India to a dominant eight-wicket victory and a 1-0 series lead.“It was a sublime knock from Shreyas Iyer. He looked unstoppable, and no matter what lines and lengths the West Indian bowlers bowled, Iyer had an answer to everything,” Gavaskar said on JioStar.ALSO READ: First time in top 10! Shreyas Iyer leaps 18 places in T20I rankings after maiden century
‘This hundred has silenced all of them’
Gavaskar said the century was particularly significant given Iyer’s recent struggles with the bat since taking over the captaincy.“Shreyas Iyer has had a bit of a torrid time with the bat since becoming the captain of this Indian T20I squad. In recent times, the wins have come, but his own form with the bat was a concern,” he said. “So, it was important for him to play a big knock, and he delivered in this first T20I.”Iyer took complete control of India’s chase, reaching his half-century in 28 balls before shifting gears dramatically. He scored the next 52 runs from just 15 deliveries to complete his maiden T20I hundred in spectacular fashion.“There had been questions on social media about Shreyas’ batting form, and this hundred has silenced all of them. This knock is a strong signal that Shreyas Iyer is back to his best,” Gavaskar said.The knock also came after India returned from Japan following their Asian Games gold-medal triumph. Iyer admitted the exhausting travel had left him fatigued but refused to use jet lag as an excuse.“After the exhausting travel, didn’t realise where I was. Everyday I need to wake up like this! Bowling first helped us a lot. We just didn’t look at jetlag as an excuse,” Iyer said. “Exultant! Was thinking about my first century and dreams do come true.”India chased down West Indies’ 171 in just 14.4 overs, with Iyer’s unbeaten century providing the foundation for the emphatic win.“Winning tastes different. If it is your day, win the match for the team. Overall it was a comprehensive performance. If we continue with the same mindset we will be one of the most destructive teams in T20,” Iyer said.For West Indies, captain Shai Hope rued a chaotic batting display and a lack of runs towards the end of their innings. Hope and Sherfane Rutherford had put on 63 off 35 balls but West Indies lost four quick wickets and were bowled out for 171.
