India's top five worst defeats in T20 World Cup history

India suffered one of their worst defeats against South Africa.

After giving a flawless performance in the group stage of the ICC 2026 T20 World Cup, the Indian cricket team suffered a disappointing 76-run defeat at the hands of South Africa in their opening Super 8 game at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, February 22.

While fans were expecting the Men in Blue to deliver a dominant performance, their one-sided defeat came as a shock. After the loss, the co-hosts must win both remaining games to qualify for the next stage.

Moreover, India’s defeat to South Africa has gone down in history as one of the team’s worst defeats in the T20 World Cup. Thus, on a similar note, let’s take a look at the top five worst defeats India have sustained in the T20 World Cup.

5. India vs New Zealand: 2016

The Men in Blue faced New Zealand in their first game of the 2016 T20 World Cup and suffered a 47-run defeat. Bowling first in Nagpur, India, restricted the Black Caps to a score of 127 after 20 overs.

When it felt like the Indian team would record an easy victory, Mitchell Santner and Nathan McCullum started picking up wickets on regular occasions.

Santner took four wickets, and the Men in Blue were seven wickets down before reaching 50 runs after 11 overs. With that, the whole team was back in the pavilion at the score of 79. Mahendra Singh Dhoni was India’s highest scorer in the game with 30 runs in 30 deliveries.

4. India vs Australia: 2012

Facing Australia in the third game of the tournament in Colombo, the Indian team batted first. The Indian batters struggled to settle their feet on the pitch and accumulated only 140 runs after 20 overs as Shane Watson picked up three wickets.

Meanwhile, while chasing the target, the Aussies were unbothered by the efforts of Indian bowlers. The opening partnership of Shane Watson and David Warner racked up 133 runs in 14 overs as the Australian team won the match by 9 wickets and 31 balls remaining. Watson was named the Player of the Match for his 72-run knock and three wickets.

3. India vs South Africa: 2026

India’s most recent defeat is third on this list. The defending champions were invited to bowl first in Ahmedabad. Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah gave a decent start to the match, picking up three early wickets.

However, the partnership between Dewald Brevis and David Miller shifted the momentum of the game in favour of last year’s runners-up.

Tristan Stubbs further pushed the scoreline with a strike rate of 183 as South Africa posted a target of 188 for India. However, the target turned out to be too steep for the Men in Blue as they got all out at 111, losing the game by 76 runs.

2. India vs Pakistan: 2021

India lead Pakistan 8-1 in the head-to-head tally in the T20 World Cup. Their only defeat against the neighbours came during the 2021 campaign in Dubai, and it was one of their worst defeats in the tournament’s history.

While the two-time champions struggled to cross the 150-run mark in the first innings, the opening Pakistani batters did not face any issues in securing the victory.

Muhammad Rizwan scored 79 runs, while Babar Azam racked up 68, helping the side win the game by 10 wickets, chasing the target of 152 in 17.5 overs.

1. India vs England: 2022

India’s one-sided loss to England in the 2022 World Cup semifinal in Adelaide will always remain a scar. Batting first, the Men in Blue set a target of 169 runs for the Three Lions, thanks to half-centuries by Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya.

However, the intent of Jos Buttler and Alex Hales was clear from the very first delivery. They wanted to close the match quickly, scoring big hits all around the ground. While Buttler scored 80 runs off 49 deliveries, Hales accumulated 86 runs in 47 balls, helping England secure a ticket to the final in 16 overs.

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