What began as a statistical quirk has now spiraled into an unprecedented record: India has become the first team in cricket history to lose 13 consecutive tosses across formats. The latest addition to this streak occurred at Lord’s, where Shubman Gill, captaining India in the ongoing Test series against England, lost the toss once again to Ben Stokes.
This Test marks Gill’s third consecutive toss loss since becoming India’s Test captain, and continues a broader streak that started in January 2025.
📉 The Toss-Loss Timeline:
- The streak kicked off when Suryakumar Yadav lost back-to-back tosses during the final two T20Is against England in Pune and Mumbai.
- It was followed by Rohit Sharma’s run of misfortune, losing 8 tosses in ODIs, including a full 3-match series against England (Nagpur, Cuttack, Ahmedabad) and all 5 games during India’s triumphant Champions Trophy campaign in Dubai.
- Now, under Gill’s leadership, India has added three more toss losses in the ongoing Test series, including the latest at Lord’s.
📊 Most Consecutive Tosses Lost in International Cricket (All Formats):
| Tosses Lost | Team | Time Period |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | India | Jan 31, 2025 – Present |
| 12 | West Indies | Feb 2 – Apr 21, 1999 |
| 11 | England | Dec 17, 2022 – Mar 12, 2023 |
India also now holds the record for most tosses lost in a row in ODIs—15 consecutive tosses (12 under Rohit Sharma, 3 under KL Rahul), surpassing the previous record held by the Netherlands (11 between 2011–2013). Rohit’s individual streak of 12 toss losses in ODIs equals that of West Indies great Brian Lara.
🏏 On the Bright Side:
Despite this bizarre string of bad luck with the coin, India has managed to win 11 of the last 12 matches in this stretch, the only loss being the first Test at Headingley. While tosses can impact match strategy, India’s strong performances show the team is far from reliant on them for success.
Still, with no toss win since November 19, 2023 (ODI World Cup Final vs Australia), fans and analysts alike are now closely watching the coin flips as much as the cricket itself.
