Lucknow | Shreyas Iyer's maiden T20I hundred came at an "important time", signalling that the Indian skipper is back to his best after having a torrid time with the bat," said Sunil Gavaskar.

Iyer had managed to breach the 50-run mark only twice since taking over as India's T20 captain in June. However, he struck an unbeaten 102 in the opening game against the West Indies to power India to an eight-wicket win here on Tuesday.

"It was a sublime knock from Shreyas Iyer. He looked unstoppable, and no matter what lines and lengths the West Indian bowlers bowled, Iyer had an answer to everything.

"Shreyas Iyer has had a bit of a torrid time with the bat since becoming the captain of this Indian T20I squad. In recent times, the wins have come, but his own form with the bat was a concern.

"So, it was important for him to play a big knock, and he delivered in this first T20I," Gavaskar said on JioStar.

Iyer took charge of the chase with an attacking display, reaching his fifty in 28 balls before completing his century off just 43 deliveries.

"Iyer took complete control of the run chase and continued to accelerate through the middle overs. He reached his fifty in just 28 balls and then shifted gears completely, going from 50 to 102 in the space of just 15 balls.

"There had been questions on social media about Shreyas' batting form, and this hundred has silenced all of them. This knock is a strong signal that Shreyas Iyer is back to his best," Gavaskar said.

Ishan Kishan, meanwhile, made his comeback to the Indian team earlier this year after spending time away from the national side. The wicketkeeper-batter said the setback forced him to confront his shortcomings and work on rebuilding his game.

"When I was dropped from the international team, I understood the consequences of a few mistakes that I had made. So, I worked on my fitness and my batting.

"I stayed patient and focused on rectifying my mistakes by doing well in domestic cricket. I knew if I kept performing in domestic cricket, the opportunity would come and I earned the recall to the national squad because of my hard work."