Top 5 biggest upsets in Indian Cricket history ft. IRE vs IND 1st T20I of 2026

Several defeats have shocked the entire Indian cricket fraternity over the years.

Over the past decade, India have become a dominant team across all three formats. While MS Dhoni transformed India into one of the strongest sides in ODIs and T20Is, Virat Kohli is credited with turning India into a dominant force in Test cricket.

India have also bagged five ICC trophies since the start of the 21st century. Despite India’s incredible record in international cricket over the last three decades, there have been few instances when the Men in Blue faced big upsets against weaker teams.

These humiliating defeats became a dark chapter in India’s cricket history and a hot topic of discussion among the entire cricket fraternity. In this listicle, let’s take a glance at the top five most shocking upsets in Indian Cricket history.

Biggest upsets in Indian Cricket history

Against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy 2017 final

India reached the Champions Trophy final under Virat Kohli’s captaincy in 2017. They faced their arch-rivals, Pakistan, in the summit clash. Batting first, Pakistan piled up a mammoth total of 338/4.

Pacer Mohammad Aamir demolished India’s top order, and they failed to chase the target of 339 runs. India were bowled out for just 158 runs. Pakistan made history by crushing India in the final of an ICC tournament for the first time.

Despite having world-class top-order batsmen like Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli, India could not chase down that score, and that defeat still stings the hearts of many Indian fans.

Against Zimbabwe in the T20I series 2024

Following Rohit Sharma’s retirement from T20Is after winning the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, Shubman Gill was handed the team’s captaincy for the Zimbabwe series in July. India and Zimbabwe locked horns in five T20Is at Harare Sports Club. Several young players were given an opportunity in that series.

Shubman Gill & Co. lost the opening game by 13 runs, which came as a big blow for the then T20 World champions. Sikandar Raza & Co. piled up 155/9 in the first innings, but later made a superb comeback by bowling out India for just 102 runs.

None of the batsmen could score a fifty on the slow wicket, with multiple middle-order batters losing wickets for single digits. With three wickets by Tendai Chatara and Sikandar Raza, Zimbabwe bowled out India for just 102 runs, losing by 13 runs.

Gill suffered a big blow in his first assignment as T20I captain, but starred with his captaincy by leading the team to a 4-1 victory in the series.

Against Ireland in the T20I series 2026

BCCI nominated Shreyas Iyer as the new T20I captain in 2026. Under his leadership, India took on Ireland in their first T20I campaign after winning the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. Ahead of the game, India had won all 8 T20Is against Ireland.

While the Shreyas Iyer & Co. were expected to dominate Ireland, they suffered a shocking defeat by 34 runs. Despite winning the toss and opting to bowl, India failed with their strategy. With a fifty by captain Lorcan Tucker, Ireland piled up 182/9 in the first innings.

Later, they executed a brilliant bowling attack to outplay India. After Abhishek Sharma got out, India suffered a big batting collapse and were bowled out for just 148 runs.

Against Bangladesh in the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup

India were among the favourites to win the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007, as they finished as runners-up in the previous edition.

Under captain Rahul Dravid and established batters like Sourav Ganguly, MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, and Sachin Tendulkar, India were a strong team capable of defeating the defending champions, Australia.

However, India suffered their biggest humiliation in the ODI World Cup history, losing the first-ever match against Bangladesh. Later, they lost another clash against Sri Lanka and suffered a first-round exit.

This was a big blow for the Indian Cricket Team in international cricket, and even the homes of some cricketers were attacked by angry fans.

Against Zimbabwe in the 1999 ICC Cricket World Cup

England hosted the 1999 ICC Cricket World Cup, in which India was one of the favourites, having reached the semi-finals of the previous edition. Under Sourav Ganguly, India started the tournament with two defeats against South Africa and Zimbabwe.

However, the defeat against South Africa could be accepted, as they were a strong team at the time. The defeat against Zimbabwe was a major blow to the entire Indian cricket fraternity.

In the absence of batting legend Sachin Tendulkar due to the sudden death of his father, India suffered a big upset in World Cup history. Zimbabwe posted 252/9 in the 1st innings, and India were bowled out for 249 in the chase, suffering a shocking three-run defeat in a close-fought encounter.

With two back-to-back defeats at the start, India commenced the tournament with big disappointment. Later, they bounced back and reached the second round, defeating teams like England, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan.

For Zimbabwe, the victory against India in the ODI World Cup is a big triumph, but for India, it’s still one of the depressing moments.

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