Shreyas Iyer Breaks Virat Kohli’s T20I Record

Shreyas Iyer produced a sensational captain’s knock in the first T20I against West Indies in Lucknow, smashing an unbeaten 102 off just 43 balls and creating a record that no Indian captain had achieved before. Iyer became the first Indian captain to score a T20I century while chasing, going past Virat Kohli’s previous highest score by an Indian T20I captain in a run chase.

India were chasing 172 after West Indies were bowled out for 171. Iyer took control of the chase and completed his maiden T20I hundred in only 42 balls. He eventually finished unbeaten on 102 from 43 deliveries, hitting 10 fours and six sixes. India reached 172/2 in 14.4 overs to register an eight-wicket victory and take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

Shreyas Iyer Breaks Virat Kohli’s Indian Record

The century also put Iyer ahead of Virat Kohli in a special captaincy record.

Before Iyer’s knock, the highest score by an Indian captain while batting second in a T20I was Kohli’s 94 not out against West Indies in Hyderabad in 2019. Kohli had scored those runs from 50 balls, but he fell six runs short of a century.

Iyer went one step further in Lucknow. His unbeaten 102 made him the first Indian captain to reach three figures in a T20I run chase.

What made the innings even more impressive was its pace. Iyer completed his hundred from 42 deliveries, which also made it the fastest T20I century by an Indian batter against West Indies.

T20I Centuries by Indian Captains

Iyer joined an exclusive group of Indian captains who have scored T20I hundreds. Rohit Sharma achieved the feat three times as captain, while Suryakumar Yadav scored a century against South Africa in Johannesburg. However, all four of those hundreds came while India were batting first. Iyer is the first to do it in a chase.

That distinction makes Iyer’s century historic: five T20I hundreds have now been scored by Indian captains, but his is the only one to have come while chasing.

Captain Shreyas Iyer Takes Charge of the Chase

This was not simply a record-breaking hundred. It was also a statement innings from Iyer as India’s captain.

With India chasing 172, Iyer played with the attacking intent that has often been visible when he leads a side. Instead of allowing the required rate or the responsibility of captaincy to restrict his batting, he took the attack to the West Indies bowlers.

His 102* at a strike rate of 237.20 turned the chase into a one-sided affair. Ishan Kishan remained unbeaten on 37 at the other end as India completed the target with 32 balls remaining.

The innings was also Iyer’s maiden T20I century and surpassed his previous T20I best of 80 not out. On the same night, he joined Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav among Indian captains with T20I centuries and became the first of them to achieve the feat in a successful chase.