Team India’s winning streak, which has been going on since T20 World Cup 2024, has stopped this time. In the Super-8 round of T20 World Cup 2026, South Africa defeated India by 76 runs. Hardly anyone would have predicted that Team India would lose any match in this World Cup. No one would have thought that she would lose so badly. But Team India got defeated and it made them face a bitter truth which hardly anyone would have imagined. If Virat Kohli was in the Indian team, there would have been a possibility of victory. At least that’s what history says.
After the World Cup final on 19 November 2023 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the Indian cricket team once again suffered a major setback on 22 February 2026. At that time, Team India was considered a contender to win the title but Australia defeated them on this ground and won the title. Similarly, in the Super-8 match also, Team India seemed to have the upper hand but South Africa defeated it. This shameful defeat has shocked the Indian team and its fans.
After the defeat of the Indian team, a record came out which surprised everyone and also forced them to think that India missed Virat Kohli? Actually, India’s record while chasing big scores in the T20 World Cup is not very good. In the 19-year history of this tournament, the Indian team had successfully chased the score of more than 150 runs only three times and all three times Virat Kohli was the star of the victory.
First of all, in 2014, India got the target of 173 runs against South Africa, which India achieved in 19.1 overs. Kohli had scored unbeaten 72 runs. Then in the World Cup 2016, against Australia, Team India also achieved the target of 161 runs in 19.1 overs. This time also Kohli had scored unbeaten 82 runs. For the third time in the T20 World Cup 2022, the Indian team had achieved the target of 160 runs in exactly 20 overs against Pakistan. In this match, Kohli played a memorable inning of 82 unbeaten runs. Virat Kohli was chosen player of the match on all three occasions.
South Africa had scored 187 runs in Ahmedabad, which was a bigger score than all these three matches. But Team India’s top order, due to indiscriminate hitting of big shots, lost 3 wickets in the power play and 5 wickets till the 10th over, while only 51 runs were scored. On such an occasion, if a batsman like Kohli had taken the lead from one side and taken the innings forward, perhaps the result could have been different. But at present the truth is that Kohli has retired and apart from him, no other Indian batsman could do such a wonderful run-chasing feat.