New Delhi: Rohit Sharma-led Team India set an unwanted record even before a ball was bowled in the crucial mega Group A clash against Pakistan at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.
Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan won the toss and opted to bat first in a must-win match in Dubai. With that, The Men in Blue broke a world record for losing the most consecutive tosses in ODIs. India equalled the needless record with the Netherlands after losing the toss in the Champions Trophy opener against Bangladesh.
Now, with the recent toss result against Pakistan, Team India has surpassed the Dutch team with 12 consecutive toss losses. Out of the 11 previous ODI matches, Rohit and Co. have won 6 and lost 4, while one match ended in a tie.
The losing streak of tosses started back in the 2023 ICC World Cup final against Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Then the streak continued under KL Rahul’s captaincy, as the stand-in Indian skipper lost all the tosses in the away three-match ODI series against South Africa in 2023. However, Rahul & Co won the ODI series 2-1.
Skipper Rohit Sharma lost all three tosses in India’s only ODI assignment against Sri Lanka in 2024. The Men in Blue lost that series by 2-0. Rohit also lost all three tosses in the home series against England ahead of the Champions Trophy, which India ended up white-washing the Three Lions.
‘Losing toss doesn’t really matter’: Rohit Sharma
After losing the toss against Pakistan, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma said that it doesn’t really matter as the wickets look similar to the last game. He further added that the pitch is on the slower side but we have an experienced batting unit and the team knows what they need to do if the pitches get slower.
“Need an overall performance from the team – with bat and ball. The last game wasn’t an easy one for us, which is always nice. You want to be under pressure and test yourself. We are playing the same team” Rohit said at the toss.
Team India has set an unwanted world record after losing the toss against Pakistan at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, February 23. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
