Shreyas Iyer Silences Critics with Century; Sunil Gavaskar Advocates for Sanju Samson

New Delhi, October 7 (Daily Kiran) : In a remarkable display of skill, Shreyas Iyer, captain of the Indian T20 team, scored his maiden international T20 century during the first match against the West Indies at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on October 7. Iyer reached this milestone in just 42 balls, showcasing his batting prowess.

Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar praised Iyer’s performance, stating on JioStar, “This was a fantastic innings from Shreyas Iyer. He looked unstoppable, and regardless of the line and length bowled by the West Indies bowlers, Iyer had an answer for everything. The shots he played were a treat to watch, particularly the uppercut off Romario Shepherd, which indicated his seriousness.”

Despite recent victories, Iyer’s form had been a concern since taking over as captain. Gavaskar noted the importance of this innings for Iyer, saying, “He needed to play a big innings, and he did well in the first T20. Iyer controlled the run chase and scored quickly in the middle overs, reaching his fifty in just 28 balls before shifting gears to score the next 50 in a mere 15 balls, finishing with 102. His century silenced the critics questioning his batting form on social media, signaling that he is back to his best.”

Gavaskar also addressed wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson, emphasizing that one failure should not overshadow his previous records. “Sanju recently scored two fifties against Afghanistan in the same role. Although he performed poorly in the Asian Games, he was batting at number three, so I don’t blame him. Now that he has returned to opening, he only managed 11 runs in the first T20, but that’s not enough to replace him with Vaibhav Suryaanshi,” he explained.

He continued, “A player deserves a fair chance, especially one returning to a role where he feels comfortable. A low score shouldn’t change anything. Sanju has proven what he can do at the top of the order and deserves to play for a longer duration. Vaibhav is a special talent, and his time will come, but for now, Sanju is the right man to open against the West Indies. You can’t keep changing players after every game; it creates insecurity in the dressing room.”