Captain of India Shreyas Iyer etched his name in the record books during a rain-soaked T20I opener against England in Durham, becoming the first Indian captain to register a half-century in a T20I on English soil. Iyer’s 68 off 48 balls was not only his first T20I 50 as India captain, but also the highest score by an Indian captain in a men’s T20I in England. At the same time, he surpassed Virat Kohliwhose unbeaten 47 against England in Cardiff 2018 was the previous highest score by an Indian captain in the country. Leading a side looking to bounce back from a disappointing 0-2 series defeat against Ireland, Iyer produced a captain’s knock as India came under early pressure. The visitors reduced it to 6/2 after both defeats Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan within the opening of two overs. While Abhishek Sharma counter-attacking with a blistering 59 off just 27 balls, Iyer adopted a more measured approach. The pair added 82 runs for the third wicket, renewing the innings before launching the attack. Iyer reached his fifty in 38 deliveries, showing patience early before accelerating with clear boundaries and a towering six over extra cover. His innings eventually ended on 68 after being trapped lbw by Saqib Mahmood, but by then India had laid a solid platform. A late unbeaten 42 from Shivam Dube took the visitors to 189/7. Unfortunately, persistent rain meant that England never got the chance to start their chase and the game was abandoned during the change break. Nonetheless, Iyer’s historic knock offered a major positive for India ahead of the second T20I in Manchester, as the skipper returned to form and added another milestone to his growing list of achievements.
