‘The hundred silenced them all’: Sunil Gavaskar hails Shreyas Iyer after sublime first T20I ton

NEW DELHI: Shreyas Iyer’s maiden T20I century came at a crucial moment in his captaincy and according to Indian great Sunil Gavaskar, the lofty knock silenced questions about his batting.Iyer has crossed the 50-run mark only twice since taking over as India’s T20I captain in June, but produced a stunning response in the opening match of the five-match series against the West Indies in Lucknow on Tuesday.The right-hander smashed an unbeaten 102 off just 43 balls, including a quick burst after reaching his fifty in 28 deliveries, to lead India to a dominant eight-wicket win and a 1-0 series lead.“It was an amazing knock from Shreyas Iyer. He looked unstoppable and no matter what lines and lengths the West Indian bowlers bowled, Iyer had an answer for everything,” Gavaskar said on JioStar.READ ALSO: First time in the top 10! Shreyas Iyer jumps 18 places in the T20I rankings after his maiden century

“This hundred silenced them all”

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 rough time with the bat ever since he became the captain of this Indian T20I unit. The wins have come of late but his own form with the bat has been a problem,” 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 and reached his half-century in 28 balls before dramatically shifting gears. He scored another 52 runs from just 15 deliveries to complete his maiden T20I hundred in spectacular fashion.“There were questions on social media about Shreyas’ batting form and this hundred silenced them all. 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 after a gold triumph at the Asian Games. Iyer admitted that the grueling travel had left him tired, but refused to use jet lag as an excuse.“After the grueling travel, I didn’t realize where I was. I have to wake up like this every day! Bowling helped us a lot at first. We just didn’t look at jetlag as an excuse,” Iyer said. “Rejoice! I thought of my first century and dreams come true.”India bowled out West Indies for 171 in just 14.4 overs, with Iyer’s unbeaten century providing the foundation for an emphatic victory.“Victory tastes different. If it’s 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.West Indies captain Shai Hope lamented the chaotic batting and lack of runs towards the end of their innings. Hope and Sherfane Rutherford put on 63 off 35 balls but West Indies lost four quick wickets and were bowled out for 171.