London, July 10: India etched an unusual piece of history at Lord’s on Thursday, setting a new world record for the most consecutive lost tosses in men’s international cricket. The record was confirmed after stand-in skipper Shubman Gill called incorrectly for the third time in the ongoing Test series against England.
With England captain Ben Stokes opting to bat first after winning the toss at Lord’s, it marked the 13th straight occasion that an Indian captain has ended up on the losing side of the coin across formats – a statistical anomaly that carries odds of 1 in 8,192.
This rare streak stretches back to January 28, 2025, when Suryakumar Yadav last won a toss in a T20I against England in Rajkot. Since then, India have failed to win the toss in any format of the game – Tests, ODIs, or T20Is – under three different leaders: Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and now Shubman Gill.
Gill, who is leading India in the Test series, has now lost all three tosses – at Edgbaston, Headingley, and Lord’s – handing the decision-making advantage to Ben Stokes each time. Rohit Sharma, meanwhile, captained India through the ODI series against England and the Champions Trophy earlier this year, both without a single toss victory. In fact, India have lost their last 15 tosses in ODIs alone – another unwanted world record.
The previous record for the most consecutive toss defeats in men’s internationals was held by the West Indies, who lost 12 tosses in a row between February and April 1999. (Agencies)
