Sunil Gavaskar hails Shreyas Iyer after captain's maiden T20I century

Sunil Gavaskar and Shreyas Iyer (Pic: File)

Former Indian batter Sunil Gavaskar believes that Shreyas Iyer's maiden T20I hundred arrived at a critical point, proving that the captain has successfully rediscovered his peak form after enduring a lean patch with the bat.

Ever since taking over the T20 captaincy in June, Iyer had managed to cross the fifty-run mark on just two occasions. However, he silenced his critics by blasting an unbeaten 102 during the series opener against the West Indies, guiding India to a comfortable eight-wicket win.

Analysing the captain's masterclass on JioStar, Gavaskar highlighted how effortlessly Iyer handled every challenge thrown at him by the opposition bowling attack.

"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.

Gavaskar further highlighted that Iyer needed a big innings to silence his doubters after he struggled with the bat in recent games.

"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. So, it was important for him to play a big knock, and he delivered in this first T20I," he added.

Sunil Gavaskar impressed with Iyer's aggressive approach

During the run chase, Iyer paced his innings to perfection, bringing up his half-century off 28 balls before aggressively shifting gears to reach three figures in just 43 deliveries. Gavaskar said that Iyer's aggressive approach is a sign that the star batter is back in form.

"Iyer took complete control of the run chase and continued to accelerate through the middle overs. He reached his fifty in just 28 balls and then shifted gears completely, going from 50 to 102 in the space of just 15 balls. 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 concluded.

With this win, India took a 1-0 lead in the five-match series against the West Indies.