‘He has put one thing to rest’ – Aakash Chopra lauds Shreyas Iyer’s century in IND vs WI 1st T20I

Shreyas Iyer scored an unbeaten 102 off 43 balls in the first T20I against West Indies at Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on October 6, 2026, registering his maiden T20I century. India chased down a target of 172 in 14.4 overs, winning by eight wickets with 32 balls to spare.

India had been reduced to 35 for 2 after losing Abhishek Sharma for 21 and Sanju Samson for 11 in the early overs. Iyer then joined Ishan Kishan and the two put on an unbroken 137-run third-wicket partnership to seal the match. Kishan finished on 37 not out off 27 balls. West Indies had posted 171, being bowled out in 19.1 overs.

Iyer came into the series under scrutiny, having gone without a half-century in his previous 10 T20I appearances. His century on Tuesday silenced those questions in emphatic fashion. The knock was also the fastest T20I hundred by an Indian batter against West Indies.

What did Aakash Chopra say about Shreyas Iyer’s innings?

Former India opener Aakash Chopra addressed the criticism that had surrounded Iyer ahead of the series. Chopra acknowledged that viewers had questioned his own silence on Iyer’s recent inconsistency and low strike rate in T20Is.

“Sarpanch sahab, the way he played, this knock was different. This was brutal. This was domination. Questions were being raised. When we did the preview yesterday, many viewers asked in the comments section whether Shreyas Iyer is my friend, as I don’t talk about him not scoring runs, lacking consistency, and having a low strike rate,” Chopra said, speaking on his YouTube channel.

“I am thinking maybe there is merit, but I feel Shreyas Iyer is fairly decent, and there shouldn’t be any conversation on his name. He has just validated that. He has put one thing to rest – that one shouldn’t panic too much or overreact. If someone has done well earlier, he deserves slight respect and a slightly longer rope, and Shreyas just proved that right,” he added.

How did Chopra assess Iyer’s shot-making and technique?

Beyond the runs and the result, Chopra highlighted the quality of Iyer’s batting across different areas of the ground. He pointed to Iyer’s body positioning as a particular strength during the innings, noting how the India T20I captain was able to access both sides of the ground with control.

“The most beautiful thing I felt was his body positioning. When you have to hit over cover, you have to take the back foot slightly back and play on the off side, and then you open your body when you try to access the leg side. I thought he was absolutely stellar. It was high-quality batting. He was hitting sixes at will, and hit sixes in different places. He hit over cover, down the ground, and over midwicket. Then he also played the delicate shots. He showed boldness, touch, and fearlessness. It was a full bouquet of shots, temperament, and technique,” Chopra added.

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