India are staring at a brink of humiliation as they prepare to face off against England in the 4th T20I in Bristol. Shreyas Iyer's start to India captaincy has been rocky with India suffering 4 straight defeats. Another one Thursday would make it back to back series defeats.
The last time India lost back to back T20I series, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni were all active. It was back in 2019 when India lost 2-1 to New Zealand. That was followed by a 2-0 T20I series loss at home to Australia.
India have gone almost 7 years since losing back to back series defeats. In that time frame the Men in Blue have won two T20 World Cups, the last culminating in Suryakumar Yadav's tenure. Shreyas Iyer has since taken over, but India are yet to win a T20I game.
That streak ended after India lost 2-0 to Ireland. However, the troubles have only deepened under new captain Shreyas Iyer and head coach Gautam Gambhir. After losing the Ireland series, India have struggled against England, with the opening match washed out before defeats in the next two games left them trailing 0-2 in the five-match contest.
2-0 down, India cannot win this series after the first game was washed out due to rain. Avoiding another series defeat has become crucial not only for restoring confidence but also for preventing Gambhir and Iyer from joining an unwanted chapter in Indian cricket history.
The fourth T20I in Bristol has therefore assumed added significance. A defeat would confirm India's second successive T20I series loss—the first time that has happened since 2019—and intensify scrutiny on the team's transition under Gambhir and Iyer.
