How long was India's reign as No. 1 ranked T20I team?
(Courtesy : BCCI/Twitter)
England are the new No. 1 ranked T20I side.
India’s woeful performance continues after losing the fifth T20I against England. Shreyas Iyer & Co. lost the last match by 56 runs and suffered a 4-0 whitewash in the series. The opening match was abandoned due to rain, and after that India lost four consecutive matches for the first time in a T20I series.
India are the defending champions of the ICC T20 World Cup, but they have faced numerous challenges since the tournament concluded. After losing 2-0 to Ireland, they lost against England.
The Men in Blue were a powerhouse in T20I cricket and had held the top spot in the rankings for a long time. India have produced some of the finest T20I players of this generation. However, after the crushing defeats against Ireland and England, India have lost their dominance in T20I cricket.
India stripped of the No. 1 T20I ranking
India dominated T20I cricket for four straight years. They remained at the top of the ICC T20I team rankings for 1,605 days. The Indian T20I team’s dominance in this format came to an end against England on July 11, 2026.
The crushing defeat at the hands of England, the new No. 1 ranked T20I team, has been nothing short of embarrassing. They did not allow India to stay in the game at any stage of the entire series. The hosts dominated and outclassed the World Champions in their backyard.
When did India’s dominance in T20Is begin?
Rohit Sharma was appointed captain of the T20I team after the 2021 T20 World Cup. He guided India to the No. 1 spot in the ICC T20I team rankings in February 2022, shortly after his appointment.
However, in the 2022 T20 World Cup, India got hammered by England in the semi-final and their campaign ended. What followed that defeat was a complete overhaul of the T20 approach. India adopted an aggressive mindset in the format and began dominating at the world stage.
Post the 2022 T20 World Cup, India played eight bilateral series before the next T20 World Cup. They won six of them, while one ended in a draw. India entered the 2024 T20 World Cup as the favourites, and played like one. Rohit Sharma-led Indian team won the 2024 T20 World Cup, defeating South Africa in the final.
After Rohit Sharma’s retirement, Suryakumar Yadav was handed the reins of India’s T20I team. Under his leadership, India did not lose any bilateral or multi-nation tournament. Ultimately, he even led India to a trophy in the 2026 T20 World Cup.
After the T20 World Cup 2026, Shreyas Iyer was appointed India’s new T20I captain, replacing Surya. The newly appointed skipper has endured a rocky start. India will have to go back to the drawing board and weigh their options ahead of the upcoming Zimbabwe tour.
The T20I series against Zimbabwe starts from July 23. It will be a three-match series, and Iyer will be keen to win his first match as India’s captain in that series.
Who are the new No. 1 ranked T20I team?
England are the new No. 1 ranked T20I team.
How long was India’s reign as No. 1 ranked T20I team?
India remained at the top of the ICC T20I team rankings for 1,605 days
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Cricket runs in the blood of Indians — and that’s something she truly believes in. A law student with a lifelong connection to the game, she has followed cricket passionately since his school days. Like countless young fans, she first experienced the sport on the field before deepening his understanding through constant watching, reading, and conversations around the game. Writing became a natural extension of that passion, bringing a “Pavilion Perspective” to his work — capturing how fans experience matches through their own lens.