KL Rahul and India’s 20-match toss curse: What Went Wrong?

AHMEDABAD: Indian cricket captain KL Rahul has now lost the toss in 20 consecutive international matches, setting an unfortunate record for the team.

In Wednesday’s ODI against South Africa, Rahul again lost the toss to Temba Bavuma, continuing the streak that has made India the subject of jokes and discussions among fans and experts alike.

When Rahul called the toss against Bavuma, spectators hoped luck might favor him this time. However, as in the previous 19 instances, the coin fell against the Indian captain.

This streak dates back to the 2023 World Cup final in Ahmedabad when Rohit Sharma was leading India in ODIs.

Since then, the team has consistently failed to win the toss. In statistical terms, losing 20 tosses in a row has a probability of only 1 in 1,048,576.

South Africa’s captain Temba Bavuma correctly called “heads” and opted to field first. Despite the setback, KL Rahul managed a wry smile after the toss, admitting: “Honestly, this is the most pressure I’ve faced because we haven’t won the toss in a long time.”