Iyer breaks Kohli's captaincy record: captain; Babar Azam still ahead

Shreyas Iyer breaks Virat Kohli's T20I captaincy record; Babar Azam still ahead on the list

NEW DELHI: Captain Shreyas Iyer created a new record for India in T20I cricket after scoring a stunning unbeaten century against the West Indies in Lucknow on Tuesday evening. With the score, he surpassed one record held by legendary Virat Kohli.Batting at No. 4, the Indian captain smashed 102 not out from just 43 balls, hitting 10 fours and six sixes. His explosive innings helped India chase down 172 runs and win the first T20I by eight wickets.

Iyer moves past Kohli

Iyer’s knock was his first T20I hundred and made him the first Indian captain to score a century while chasing in the format.The previous best belonged to Virat Kohli, who remained unbeaten on 94 from 50 balls against the West Indies in Hyderabad in 2019.

Iyer also became only the third Indian captain to score a T20I century. Rohit Sharma had three centuries as captain, while Suryakumar Yadav also reached three figures against South Africa in December 2023.

Babar still holds the top spot

Despite Iyer’s record-breaking effort, he is still some distance behind the overall record for the highest score by a captain in a T20I chase.

Pakistan’s Babar Azam remains at the top with 122 from 59 balls against South Africa in Centurion in 2021.

Babar’s score was later matched by Singapore captain Aritra Dutta, who also made 122 against Japan in Bangkok in 2024.Iyer’s unbeaten 102 now sits seventh on the all-time list, but his remarkable strike rate of 237.2 makes the innings one of the most explosive captaincy knocks in T20I cricket.