India kicked off their three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club, with captains Shreyas Iyer and Sikandar Raza walking out for the opening toss. Calling correctly once again, Iyer saw the coin land in India's favor, prompting the visiting skipper to opt to field first in the series opener.
Shreyas Iyer busts MS Dhoni's long-standing toss record
Despite taking the reins in eight T20Is so far, Iyer is still hunting for his maiden victory as India’s captain. While on-field wins have proved elusive, his fortune at the toss has been flawless. By calling it right for the eighth consecutive match, Iyer wrote his name into the record books, claiming a piece of history that no other Indian captain has ever accomplished in Men's T20Is.
With this latest toss win, Iyer surpassed MS Dhoni’s long-standing Indian record of seven consecutive toss victories (set between 2010 and 2012). This puts him ahead of Dhoni, Virat Kohli (6), and Rohit Sharma (5) for the longest streak by an Indian skipper. On the global stage, Iyer's run of eight straight toss wins ties him alongside Australia's Aaron Finch and England's Harry Brook, leaving him just behind West Indies' Daren Sammy (10) and Pakistan's Salman Agha (9) on the all-time list among full-member nations.
India captains to win most toss on the trot:
8 - Shreyas Iyer (2026)*
7 - MS Dhoni (2010/12)
6 - Virat Kohli (2019)
5 - MS Dhoni (2007)
5 - Rohit Sharma (2020/22)
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Beyond breaking Dhoni's national record, Shreyas Iyer has carved out a unique spot in world cricket by becoming the first player in Men's T20I history to win the toss in each of his first eight matches as captain. In doing so, he surpassed the Bahamas' Gregory Taylor, who previously held the global record after calling the coin correctly in his first seven matches at the helm.
Iyer’s captaincy journey began during India’s two-match tour of Ireland, initiating a remarkable—and bizarre—run of coin-toss luck. Across his first seven games as skipper against Ireland and England, the call went his way every single time. However, that uncanny fortune on the toss track hasn't translated into victories on the field, with India suffering six defeats alongside a single no-result match during this stretch.
India's Playing XI:
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan(w), Shreyas Iyer(c), Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Ravi Bishnoi, Prince Yadav, Ashok Sharma, Mayank Yadav
Zimbabwe's Playing XI:
Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani (w), Ben Curran, Dion Myers, Sikandar Raza(c), Ryan Burl, Wessly Madhevere, Brad Evans, Newman Nyamhuri, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani