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Indian team triumphs 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup The tournament came to an abrupt end when South Africa suffered a 76-run defeat to the defending champions in the Super 8 opener at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday. The defeat not only ended India’s 12-match winning streak in the tournament, but also etched their name in the record books for the wrong reasons – it was India’s biggest defeat in the history of the T20 World Cup.
India’s three worst defeats at ICC Men’s T20 World Cup
1) 76-run loss to South Africa (Ahmedabad, 2026) – India’s darkest day in the T20 World Cup
The latest and most devastating entry on this list came on February 22, 2026, when the home crowd at the Narendra Modi Stadium was stunned. India’s much-touted batting line-up, while chasing a target of 188 runs, failed miserably in the face of a disciplined South Africa attack, managing to score a paltry 111 runs in 18.5 overs.
After a hot start Jasprit Bumrah (3/15) reduced South Africa to 20/3 and India allowed a game-turning 97-run partnership of David Miller (63) and Dewald Brevis (45). In response, India’s top order fell to 26/3 in the powerplay over. Marco Jansen was the main spoiler with figures of 4/22, while Keshav Maharaj took 3/24.
This is the first time a team has beaten India by more than 50 runs in a T20 World Cup match.
2) 49 consecutive defeats to Australia (Bridgetown, 2010)
Before 2026, the 49-run defeat to Australia in the 2010 T20 World Cup was India’s heaviest defeat. The Men in Blue chased down 185 and eventually limited the outs to 135. The match was played at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown on May 7 and Australia, led by a bowling line-up led by Sean Tait and Dirk Nannis, defeated the Indian batting line-up to post a competitive total. This record remained unchallenged for 16 years until it was broken by the onslaught of South Africa.
3) 47-match losing streak to New Zealand (Nagpur, 2016)
On March 15, 2016, at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur, India lost to New Zealand by 47 runs while chasing a small target of 127 runs. However, the Black Caps did well with their spin bowling, confusing the Indian batsmen. India were bowled out for just 79 runs, their lowest total in the history of the T20 World Cup. Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi ran through the line-up on the turning track, exposing India’s vulnerability against quality spin at home. This failure remains a stark reminder that on difficult surfaces, a low overall time can be just as dangerous as a high overall time.
