Shreyas Iyer creates history with unique T20I captaincy record, equals Virat Kohli in elite list

India captain Shreyas Iyer added another milestone to his growing list of achievements after winning the toss in the fourth T20I against England at the County Ground in Bristol on Thursday.

The toss win was Iyer’s sixth successive victory at the toss since taking charge of India’s T20I side, making him the first captain from a Full Member nation to win the toss in each of his first six T20Is as captain. The previous record was held by Pakistan’s Shadab Khan, who had won the toss in his first five T20Is as captain.

The latest toss victory also helped Iyer draw level with Virat Kohli, who had won six consecutive tosses as India’s T20I captain between August and December 2019. Only former India captain MS Dhoni remains ahead of Iyer on the all-time list, having won seven consecutive tosses between May 2010 and February 2012.

Most consecutive tosses won by an India captain in T20Is

7- MS Dhoni (May 2010-February 2012)

6 – Virat Kohli (August-December 2019)

6 – Shreyas Iyer (June 2026-July 2026)

5 – Rohit Sharma (February 2020-February 2022)

5 – MS Dhoni (September 2007)

After winning the toss, Iyer elected to bat first as India looked to stay alive in the five-match series. England lead the contest 2-0 after the opening game was washed out, making the Bristol encounter a must-win fixture for the visitors.

Speaking at the toss, Iyer admitted India needed to improve their execution after suffering a heavy defeat in the previous match.

“We are going to bat first. We saw the fearlessness, but we were not able to execute our plans. The boys are in high spirits. We have to have game awareness and adapt quickly. Tactically, we have to be up to the mark. The surface looks good,” he said.

India also made two changes to the playing XI, bringing in Washington Sundar and Prasidh Krishna after Harshit Rana and Varun Chakaravarthy were ruled out of the remainder of the T20I series with hamstring injuries.

The fourth T20I also marked a personal milestone for Axar Patel, who made his 100th T20I appearance for India.

England, meanwhile, made one change, with Rehan Ahmed replacing Liam Dawson in the playing XI as Harry Brook’s side aimed to seal the series with a game to spare.