New Delhi, October 7, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
India wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan praised captain Shreyas Iyer’s aggressive approach and lauded debutant Naman Dhir’s fearless bowling after India began their five-match T20I series against the West Indies with an eight-wicket victory at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
Iyer’s unbeaten 102 powered India’s successful chase of 172, while Dhir claimed 3/31 on debut as the West Indies were restricted to 171. Kishan remained unbeaten on 37 off 27 balls and shared an unbroken 137-run partnership with Iyer for the third wicket.
With India losing both openers inside the first four overs, Iyer took charge of the chase while Kishan played the supporting role. The left-hander said he had no hesitation in playing “second fiddle” once he realised his captain was in exceptional touch.
“As a batter, when I’m not looking in that great of a touch and the batter at the other end is looking in great form and is connecting the ball well, in this case Shreyas Iyer, then I don’t mind playing second fiddle at all,” Kishan told JioStar.
“He was scoring the bulk of the runs in our partnership, and when he’s batting beautifully, it’s my job to let him punish the opposition bowlers,” he added.
Iyer struck 10 fours and six sixes, reaching his maiden T20I century off 42 balls. India completed the chase in just 14.4 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
Kishan also praised Dhir for maintaining an attacking mindset after being hit for a six. Having previously seen the all-rounder bowl during their Mumbai Indians association, Kishan said Dhir had developed significantly as a bowler.
“I have seen Naman bowl during my Mumbai Indians days and at that time I would say he was more of a part-time bowler,” Kishan said.
He added that Dhir’s decision not to become defensive after being hit showed the confidence and hard work he had put into his bowling.
Dhir dismissed Shai Hope, Romario Shepherd and Shamar Springer, while Kuldeep Yadav claimed two wickets as India’s bowling unit restricted the visitors to 171 in 19.1 overs.
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