Shreyas Iyer has finally got the one number missing from his T20 international record: a hundred. The India batter smashed an unbeaten 102 in the first T20I against West Indies in Lucknow, guiding India to an eight-wicket win with 32 balls to spare and a 1-0 series lead.

It was, in his own word, an "exultant" night. Here is how the innings unfolded, the numbers behind it and what Iyer said afterwards.

How Shreyas Iyer built his century

India were chasing 172 and the start was shaky. Abhishek Sharma made 21 off ten balls before falling to Roston Chase, and Sanju Samson followed for 11 off nine, leaving India at 35 for 2 inside four overs, ESPNcricinfo reports.

Iyer and Ishan Kishan took the score to 62 for 2 by the end of the powerplay, with Iyer hitting Shamar Joseph for three successive fours in the sixth over. India still needed 70 from the last 60 balls at the halfway mark.

Then Iyer accelerated. He reached his fifty in 28 balls, took Akeal Hosein for a six and a four in the 13th over, and hit Matthew Forde for three sixes and a four in a 24-run over. Kishan gave him the strike in the final over with Iyer on 95, and he brought up his century by launching Chase over long-on. The hundred came off just 42 balls, according to ESPNcricinfo.

Ishan Kishan's selfless role

Kishan finished unbeaten on 37 off 27 balls with five fours, and the pair's unbroken stand was worth 137 runs. Afterwards, he explained that he had chosen to rotate the strike because Iyer was timing the ball better.

"I felt it's better to keep him on strike and not let the momentum stop," Kishan said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo. "So my job was pretty easy in the middle, to just get off strike and let him play as many balls as he can." He added that he was "not looking in such great touch" himself, so it made sense to let Iyer keep going.

Shreyas Iyer's remarkable Lucknow record

The Ekana Stadium has become a happy hunting ground for Iyer. ESPNcricinfo notes that this was his second century in as many T20 appearances at the venue this year.

The numbers are startling: in five T20 innings at the ground, he has scored 335 runs at an average of 335 and a strike rate of 200.59, including 255 runs without being dismissed across his last three innings there.

The innings also carries extra weight because of his role in the side. The BBC reported this week that the BCCI handed the men's T20 captaincy to Iyer after replacing Suryakumar Yadav earlier this year. A match-winning hundred is the strongest possible statement in that position, and The Times of India headlined the knock as one that "silences critics."

What Shreyas Iyer said after the match

"Winning definitely tastes different. And that's what we keep talking about in the dressing room," Iyer told the broadcasters, according to ESPNcricinfo. "If it's your day, make sure that you win the match for the team. And today it was me."

He was also open about how much the milestone meant. "Definitely exultant, that's the word I would use today," he said. "Honestly speaking, I was actually thinking about getting my first century and it came true. So I definitely want to say that dreams do come true."

Iyer said the team had overcome fatigue after returning from the Asian Games in Nisshin, Japan. "After that exhausting travel, I didn't even realise where I was, to be honest," he said. "We just didn't look at it as an excuse."

India vs West Indies T20I schedule

There is little time to rest. According to ESPNcricinfo, the series continues in Ranchi on October 9, Indore on October 11, Hyderabad on October 14 and Bengaluru on October 17. India then fly to New Zealand for the first T20I in Christchurch on October 22.

FAQ

How many runs did Shreyas Iyer score against West Indies?

Shreyas Iyer scored 102 not out in the first T20I in Lucknow, his maiden century in T20 internationals.

How many balls did Shreyas Iyer take for his T20I hundred?

According to ESPNcricinfo, he reached his century in 42 balls, after getting to fifty in 28.

Who won the first T20I between India and West Indies?

India won by eight wickets with 32 balls to spare, chasing 172, to take a 1-0 lead in the series.

When is the next India vs West Indies T20I?

The second T20I is in Ranchi on October 9, followed by Indore, Hyderabad and Bengaluru.

Cover photo: Bollywood Hungama / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0