Shreyas Iyer's Team India scripts unwanted T20I records: Details here
What's the story
India's cricket team has been on a downward spiral, suffering its third consecutive defeat in the ongoing T20I series against England. Batting first in the fourth match in Bristol, India managed to score only 158 runs for seven wickets in their allotted overs. England chased down the target with ease, winning by nine wickets and clinching the series 3-0. This is India's second straight series loss after being whitewashed by Ireland earlier this month. A look at the unwanted records scripted by the Men in Blue.
Captaincy challenges
Shreyas Iyer equals Kohli's unwanted record
The pressure is now on Shreyas Iyer, who was appointed as India's new T20I skipper ahead of the Ireland series. The batter has now lost each of his first five concluded T20Is as captain. No other Indian skipper to lead in at least three T20Is has been winless. With the loss in the Bristol game, Iyer became only the second Indian captain to lose two consecutive T20I series. Virat Kohli had also faced similar defeats in 2019 against New Zealand and Australia.
Batting woes
India's batting woes on this tour
India's batting has been a major concern on this tour, with the team failing to score big. In the third T20I, they were bowled out for just 76 runs, their second-lowest T20I total. This was also their biggest defeat in terms of runs in a chase (by 125 runs). The latest defeat against England marked India's first T20I series loss against the Brits (multiple matches).
Series defeat
India's first bilateral series defeat in England since 2018
The latest loss also marks India's first bilateral series defeat against England since 2018 across all formats in their territory. The unbeaten run had included three T20I, three ODI and two Test series in the eight-year period. The team's inability to adapt to local conditions has been a major factor in their poor performance this tour.