You Will not Believe the Two Teams India Have Never Beaten at T20 World Cups

ByAnupam Pandey,SportsCafe Editor

Today at 4:51 PM

India is entering the T20 World Cup 2026 as the defending champions. And they have also been at the top of the ICC rankings for a long time. Still there are two teams which India has never managed to defeat in the biggest T20 tournament to take place.

India is one of the most dominant teams in the T20I history. They have won two titles of the ICC T20 World Cup, winning the inaugural title in 2007. And now in the upcoming T20 World Cup, which will be hosted by India, the team enters being the defending champions.

This will take fans back to the 2016 vibes, when India was also hosting the T20 World Cup. While India is entering as the defending champions, a shocking stat has also emerged. India has never won a single game against two teams in the T20 World Cup. And these two teams are Sri Lanka, and New Zealand.

1. India vs Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka remains the first team against whom India has not won a single game in the T20 World Cup history. Both teams have faced each other twice in the T20 World Cup, and both of the games were won by Sri Lanka. Now, Sri Lanka is also entering the T20 World Cup as the co-host of the tournament.

T20 World Cup 2010

India and Sri Lanka first faced each other in the T20 World Cup 2010. It was a group stage game, and India wanted to finish with a win. Batting first, the Indian team was able to post a total of 163 runs for the loss of 5 wickets. Suresh Raina remained the star, as he scored 63 runs for the team.

India vs Sri Lanka at the T20 World Cup match in 2010.

Pic Source: ESPNcricinfo

India got an upper hand in the second innings, as they put Sri Lanka at 49/3 in 8 overs. But Kumar Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews scored 46 runs each which took Sri Lanka close to the win. Chamara Kapudegara finished the game by scoring 37 runs off 16 balls, helping Sri Lanka to win.

T20 World Cup 2014: Final

After 4 years, India and Sri Lanka faced each other once again in the T20 World Cup. But this time it was the final clash, as India was batting first at the bowler friendly Dhaka pitch. Virat Kohli remained the star of the Indian team once again, as he alone scored 77 runs off 58 balls, out of the 130 runs posted by the team.

India vs Sri Lanka at the T20 World Cup match in 2014.

Pic Source: ESPNcricinfo

During the chase, Sri Lanka lost their top order early. But the latter part was handled well by Kumar Sangakkara, who scored 52 runs off 35 balls, and he also received support from Thisara Perera. Eventually, India also lost this game against Sri Lanka by 6 wickets.

2. India vs New Zealand

New Zealand is the second team which India has never defeated in the T20 World Cup. Both teams have faced each other three times in the tournament, but not even once India has managed to secure a win over them.

T20 World Cup 2007

India and New Zealand faced each other for the first time in the inaugural edition of the tournament. New Zealand was batting first in this group stage game, as the team got all out at the score of 190. Brendon McCullum scored 45 runs, while Craig McMilan (44) and Jacob Oram (35), boosted the team's scoring rate.

India vs New Zealand at the T20 World Cup match in 2007.

Pic Source: ESPNcricinfo

In the chase, India had a good start with Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir. Posting above 75 runs in the powerplay, India started to lose wickets consecutively. Eventually, India ended up losing the game by a margin of 10 runs, as the middle order failed to contribute well.

T20 World Cup 2016

India and New Zealand were again in the same group for the T20 World Cup 2016. The match was to be played in Nagpur, and New Zealand batted first. The pitch favoured the bowlers, as New Zealand posted just 126 runs. Corey Anderson scored 34 runs and Luke Ronchi scored 21, which helped the team to reach this total.

India vs New Zealand at the T20 World Cup match in 2016.

Pic Source: ESPNcricinfo

But in India's batting, it seemed that the pitch became more challenging. Within the first three overs, India stood at the score of 12/3, as Virat Kohli tried to steady the score. Eventually, he was also dismissed at 23, and Dhoni tried his best to maintain the chase. With Dhoni scoring 30 runs, he also lost his wicket as India went all out at 79.

T20 World Cup 2021

India and New Zealand last played against each other in the T20 World Cup 2021. The match was being played at Dubai, as India was batting first this time. But the Indian batsmen had no answers against the Kiwis bowling line-up, as India scored just 110 runs for the loss of 7 wickets. Hardik Pandya (23) and Ravindra Jadeja (26) were the top run scorers for the team.

India vs New Zealand at the T20 World Cup match in 2021.

Pic Source: ESPNcricinfo

The chase for New Zealand was a lot more comfortable than expected. Although Martin Guptill lost his wicket early, Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell handled the game well. Mitchell scored 49 runs while Williamson remained not out at the score of 33. New Zealand won the game in the 15th over, winning by 8 wickets.