On a roll: Most consecutive victories by a team in T20I cricket
India had a nearly perfect 2020 except for the final T20I against Australia as it turned out to be the only T20I match which India lost in the year. It did also put an end to India’s 9-match winning streak which began at the start of the year during the series against Sri Lanka. The first of the 3-match T20I series against Sri Lanka at home got rained off without a ball being bowled but the toss had already taken place.
The last instance of India losing a T20I match was exactly on December 8th in 2019 when they took on West Indies in a home series. Since that defeat, India went 11 consecutive matches in the T20I format without a defeat which is easily the longest unbeaten streak for India in T20Is. In fact, only two teams in Men’s T20I cricket have not lost a match outright for more than 11 games in succession.
Afghanistan recorded the streak between 2018 and 2019 when they won 12 consecutive T20Is. Australia had a similar streak between 2009 and 2010 where they won ten of the 12 matches. One of the other two games ended without a result while another one was lost in the Super Over by the Aussies. Afghanistan’s streak of 12 consecutive T20I wins is also the longest winning streak for any side in Men’s T20I cricket.
In this process, Afghanistan broke their own record which they created with 11 successive wins between 2016 and 2017. The two streaks of Afghanistan were boosted by their success in the Asian continent as they won 21 T20I matches they played in a row in Asia between 2016 and 2019. India, who won nine consecutive T20Is this year with the help of two Super Over wins, became just the 3rd team to win as many as nine T20Is in succession in Men’s cricket.
Pakistan is the other team to achieve this streak which they created during their dream run in T20I cricket in 2018. The team led by Sarfaraz Ahmed cruised to victory in each of their last nine T20Is played in 2018. The streak included wins in Zimbabwe during a Tri-Nation series and series victories against Australia and New Zealand in the United Arab Emirates.
(Stats as on December 10, 2020)
