India took a 1-0 lead in the T20I series against West Indies after winning the opening match in Lucknow by eight wickets with 32 balls remaining. Chasing 172, the hosts lost both openers by the 3.3-over mark, but Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan responded with an unbroken 137-run partnership to seal the result comfortably. Iyer finished unbeaten on 102, registering his maiden T20I century, while Kishan remained not out on 37 off 27 balls.
Abhishek Sharma gave India a brisk start with 21 off ten deliveries before Roston Chase removed him, and Sanju Samson departed for 11 off nine balls, leaving the side at 35 for 2. Iyer and Kishan steadied matters and pushed the score to 62 for 2 at the powerplay close, with Iyer punishing Shamar Joseph for three successive boundaries in the sixth over.
From that point, Iyer kept accelerating, moving from a 28-ball fifty to a 42-ball century. He took Akeal Hosein for a six and a four in the 13th over, then hit Matthew Forde for three sixes and a four in a 24-run over. Kishan’s single in the final over gave Iyer the strike on 95, and he brought up his hundred by launching Chase over long-on, finishing unbeaten on 102.
Kishan contributed five fours in his 27-ball innings while managing the strike rotation to keep Iyer facing as many deliveries as possible. He later spoke about recognising when his partner was timing the ball better and adjusting his approach accordingly.
Why did Kishan choose to give Iyer most of the strike?
Kishan observed from the non-striker’s end that Iyer was hitting the ball with exceptional timing and decided the best way to help India was to keep him on strike rather than seek deliveries himself. Kishan acknowledged openly that he was not finding his own touch during the innings, which made the decision straightforward. He attributed the partnership’s success to that honest assessment of where the scoring threat lay on the day.
“I think he was in very good touch, and to be very honest, looking from the other end, I felt it’s better to keep him on strike and not let the momentum stop. I think you get to know in the middle, you know, how one batter is timing the ball, if I’m doing it better or he’s doing it [better], and he looked in a very good touch today. And I was not looking in such great touch, to be very honest, so I just felt it’s better to keep him on strike, rather than [me] be on strike and try those shots. I wanted him to keep the momentum going,” Kishan said, as quoted by Cricinfo.
What did Kishan say about performing despite difficult conditions?
Kishan also addressed the broader challenge of delivering performances when preparation time is limited. The team had returned from a demanding travel schedule following the Asian Games in Nisshin, Japan, and Kishan acknowledged that players would not always feel at their best going into a match. He made clear, however, that the obligation to perform does not change regardless of circumstances.
“Once we step in the field, once you wear the jersey, you have to give your all. Some days you won’t be feeling so good, but it’s our job to just give 100% if you’re there,” Kishan said.
