NEW DELHI: India skipper Rohit Sharma on Sunday equalled an unwanted ODI record previously held solely by West Indies legend Brian Lara — losing 12 consecutive tosses as captain.
This streak began in November 2023 and continued until March 2025, culminating in the ICC Champions Trophy final against New Zealand in Dubai. Lara had set this record between October 1998 and May 1999.
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Rohit’s luck at the toss has been particularly poor as Team India has now lost 15 consecutive tosses in ODIs, with 12 of them coming under his leadership.
Most consecutive tosses lost by a captain in ODIs
12 Rohit Sharma (Nov 2023 - Mar 2025)12 Brian Lara (Oct 1998 - May 1999)11 Peter Borren (Mar 2011 - Aug 2013)15th consecutive tosses lost by India in ODIs
This run of bad luck surpassed the struggles of Peter Borren, the former Netherlands captain, who had lost 11 consecutive tosses between March 2011 and August 2013.
Tosses can play a crucial role in shaping match outcomes, especially in high-pressure tournaments like the Champions Trophy. However, Rohit and India have still managed to perform well despite this losing streak.
Earlier, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner won the toss and chose to bat first against unchanged India in the tournament finale.
Pace bowler Matt Henry was ruled out after injuring his shoulder during New Zealand’s semi-final victory over South Africa in Lahore. He has been replaced by fast bowler Nathan Smith, marking the only change in New Zealand’s lineup.
India and New Zealand faced off in the group stage just a week ago, with India securing a 44-run victory. Now, the two teams meet again in a high-stakes clash to determine the winner of the eight-nation tournament, which has been hosted across Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.
The Black Caps previously won the Champions Trophy in 2000, defeating India in the final in Nairobi, Kenya.
