India sealed a 1–0 series lead with an 8‑wicket victory over West Indies, 171‑62, in Lucknow after Shreyas Iyer’s explosive 102* off 43 balls.
Naman Dhir burst out, taking 3/31 from his four overs, while Kuldeep Yadav trimmed the chase with 2/33 and Axar Patel added 2/26 from 3.1 overs. The West Indies were dismissed in 28.4 overs, with India finishing in 32 balls to spare.
The turning point came when Dhir, after a six, bowled a slower, drifting ball that clipped Shai Hope, followed by Romario Shepherd and Shamar Springer in quick succession. His tactical shift turned the momentum in India’s favor.
Former opener Aakash Chopra ripped the benching of Nitish Kumar Reddy, insisting he should have featured, and lauded Dhir’s smart bowling. He also slammed West Indies’ batting, saying they wasted a pitch that could have produced 200 runs, with only Hope and Rutherford scoring fifties.
India will take on West Indies again in the second T20I on Friday, chasing a 1–0 series lead and setting up a fight for the opening spot in the remaining four matches.