Shreyas Iyer’s difficult start as India’s T20I captain reached an unwanted milestone after England thrashed the visitors by 125 runs at Trent Bridge. The defeat not only sealed a comprehensive series setback but also saw Iyer become the first Indian captain to lose each of his first four matches in charge of the national T20I side.

India’s latest collapse, where they were bowled out for just 76 in pursuit of 202, extended the team’s poor run under Iyer and placed his name in an unfortunate section of the record books.

A record no Indian captain wanted

While several Indian captains have endured winless runs during their tenure, none had begun their leadership journey with four successive defeats.

Former skipper MS Dhoni went through a seven-match winless streak in T20Is between 2010 and 2012, while Virat Kohli also endured six consecutive matches without a victory in 2019. However, both those sequences came well into their captaincy stints after they had already registered numerous wins.

Iyer’s case is different. His first four outings as India’s T20I captain have all ended in defeat, making him the first Indian skipper to start his tenure with four straight losses.

Other captains who have faced similar struggles

Shreyas Iyer is not the first international captain to experience a prolonged losing run in T20 internationals.

Australia’s Aaron Finch went through difficult phases before eventually guiding his side to the 2021 T20 World Cup title. New Zealand captain Kane Williamson also suffered five consecutive T20I defeats against India during the 2020 home series.

Pakistan’s Babar Azam faced criticism during periods of successive losses in bilateral series and ICC events, while Associate nation captains such as UAE’s Amjad Javed and Scotland’s Kyle Coetzer have endured even longer losing streaks against stronger Full Member sides.

Despite those examples, Iyer’s record remains unique in Indian cricket because the defeats have all come at the very start of his captaincy. With the pressure mounting after India’s biggest-ever defeat by runs in T20Is, the skipper will now be eager to end the unwanted streak before it grows any longer.