Lucknow, Oct 7:
Captain Shreyas Iyer smashed his maiden T20I century as India stormed to an eight-wicket victory over the West Indies in the opening match of the five-match series at the Ekana International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
Chasing 172 for victory, India raced to 172 for two in just 14.4 overs to take a 1-0 lead, with 32 balls to spare. Iyer remained unbeaten on 102 off 43 balls, hitting 10 fours and six sixes. He brought up his century in 42 balls, making it the fastest T20I hundred by an Indian against the West Indies.
India’s chase did not begin smoothly. Abhishek Sharma was dismissed for 21 and Sanju Samson fell for 11 as India slipped to 35 for two. Iyer then took charge, initially rebuilding the innings before launching a spectacular assault on the West Indies bowlers.
Ishan Kishan provided excellent support with an unbeaten 37. The pair added an unbeaten 137 for the third wicket off just 67 balls, completely taking the game away from the visitors. Iyer accelerated dramatically towards his hundred, smashing three sixes and a four in one over before reaching the landmark with another maximum.
Earlier, West Indies were bowled out for 171 in 19.1 overs after losing three wickets for 44 runs during the powerplay. Shai Hope top-scored with 52, while Sherfane Rutherford struck 56. The pair revived the innings with a 63-run partnership before India’s bowlers regained control.
Debutant Naman Dhir was India’s most successful bowler with three wickets for 31 runs. Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel claimed two wickets each, while Arshdeep Singh provided an early breakthrough. West Indies, who were 107 for three at one stage, slipped to 135 for eight before Rutherford and Akeal Hosein added 36 runs late in the innings.
The victory extended India’s winning run in T20Is to 10 matches and gave Iyer an ideal start to his captaincy in the series. The second T20I will be played in Ranchi on October 9.
Brief scores: West Indies 171 all out in 19.1 overs (Sherfane Rutherford 56, Shai Hope 52; Naman Dhir 3/31) lost to India 172/2 in 14.4 overs (Shreyas Iyer 102*, Ishan Kishan 37*) by eight wickets.Messi bids emotional farewell as Argentina beat Benin 3-0
BUENOS AIRES: Lionel Messi signed off from international football in spectacular fashion, scoring a goal and providing two assists as Argentina defeated Benin 3-0 in an emotional farewell match at the Monumental Stadium.
More than 85,000 fans gathered to witness Messi’s final appearance for Argentina as the 39-year-old brought down the curtain on a remarkable 21-year international career. The victory gave the Argentine captain a fitting farewell in front of his home supporters.
Messi was directly involved in all three goals. He delivered the corner from which Nicolas Otamendi headed Argentina into the lead in the 48th minute, before setting up Nico Paz for the second goal in the 61st minute.
Messi then completed the scoring from the penalty spot in the 71st minute, prompting another huge ovation from the crowd. He finished the night with one goal and two assists in a performance that underlined his enduring influence even at the end of his international career.
As the final whistle sounded, Messi embraced his teammates and took in the emotional reception from the packed stadium. Argentina’s players and supporters paid tribute to a captain who had carried the country’s hopes for more than two decades.
Messi leaves international football as Argentina’s most-capped player with 208 appearances and its all-time leading scorer with 126 goals. His international honours include the 2022 World Cup and two Copa America titles, completing one of the most decorated careers in the history of the sport.