‘Dreams do come true’: Shreyas Iyer reflects on match-winning 102* against West Indies in T20I opener

Shreyas Iyer loves playing at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow, having scored 335 T20 runs at a strike rate of 200.59, including two hundreds, one of which came on Tuesday night against the West Indies in the first T20I. Three days after helping the men’s team defend its Asian Games gold medal against arch-rivals Pakistan in Japan, an exhausted Iyer took on the West Indian attack to score his maiden hundred in this format. The right-hander scored an unbeaten 102 off 43 balls to see his team home with eight wickets remaining.

Calling his hundred exultant, Iyer revealed he dreamt about scoring his first T20I century, and the moment came in the first game of the five-match series. Speaking to the broadcaster after the match, Iyer said, "Definitely exultant - that's the word I would use today. Honestly speaking, I was actually thinking about getting my first [T20I] century, and it came true. So I definitely want to say that dreams do come true."

"After that exhausting travel, I didn't even realise where I was, to be honest," Iyer continued. "But I adapted quickly to the wicket, to the conditions, and I think bowling first helped us a lot. We just didn't look at it [the travel] as an excuse. We wanted to come and play as any other cricketer would."

Considering that India’s T20I squad didn’t have enough time to train for the West Indies T20I, top-ranked T20I batter Ishan Kishan reflected on the quick turnaround, saying, "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."

Meanwhile, India’s already-cramped schedule continues to get tighter with the remaining four T20Is scheduled in Ranchi (October 9), Indore (October 11), Hyderabad (October 14) and Bengaluru (October 17).

Shreyas Iyer-led India T20I side will then travel to New Zealand for the five-match T20I series starting October 22. The BCCI men’s selection committee also named the 16-man squad, recalling swing king Bhuvneshwar Kumar and resting premier quick Jasprit Bumrah.