Gavaskar also advised Indian team to stick with Sanju Samson despite his struggles.
Gavaskar maintained that Samson should continue to start the current series ahead of teenage prospect Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, believing that Iyer's century addressed recent concerns about his batting form.
“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. The shots he played were a treat to watch, especially the upper-cut off Romario Shepherd, which showed that he meant business. 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.
"It was important for him to play a big knock, and he delivered in this first T20I. 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 on JioStar.
Shreyas Iyer became the third Indian captain to score a century in T20Is and the first while chasing. He also became the seventh Indian batter to score a century in all three international formats.
Meanwhile, Gavaskar also called for patience with Sanju Samson after the opener's early dismissal in the first T20I. Samson could only manage 11 runs, and this failure immediately revived the debate over whether Vaibhav Sooryavanshi should be considered for a place in the playing XI.
“Sanju scored two half-centuries against Afghanistan as an opener. Then he had a bad run of games at the Asian Games, but he was batting at number three there, so I won't really blame him. Now, he's back opening the innings and got out after scoring 11 runs in this first T20I. But that is not enough for me to drop him from the team in favor of young Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
“You have to give a player a fair run, especially someone who has just come back into a role he is comfortable with. One low score does not change anything. Sanju has shown what he can do at the top of the order, and he deserves a longer rope. Vaibhav is a special talent, and his time will come, but for now, Sanju is the right man to open in this series against the West Indies. You cannot keep chopping and changing after every game. That only creates insecurity in the dressing room,” Gavaskar stated.
Samson has managed just two fifties in 11 T20Is since the T20 World Cup 2026, and Sooryavanshi’s presence has seemingly put pressure on Samson to continue performing or lose his spot.
(IANS inputs)