When Did India Break ODI Toss Curse? India’s long and statistically bizarre spell of losing tosses in ODIs has finally come to an end. The breakthrough arrived in the third ODI against South Africa in Visakhapatnam, marking India’s first ODI toss win in 21 matches. KL Rahul’s relieved chuckle and a subtle fist bump after the coin fell in India’s favour captured the significance of the moment.
India Wins First ODI Toss Since 2023 World Cup – A 753-Day Gap
This match provides the answer to the question, “When Did India Break ODI Toss Curse?” Their first toss win since the 2023 World Cup semi-final against New Zealand. An incredible 753 days, more than two years, had passed since India last won an ODI toss.
In that period:
Hardik Pandya was still part of the Gujarat Titans.
Gautam Gambhir was not part of India’s support staff.
India maintained their unbeaten home Test series record,
And eight players made their ODI debut.
The Odds: 20 Consecutive Toss Losses in ODIs
India’s 20-match toss drought in ODIs was not just strange, it was mathematically astonishing. The chance of losing 20 tosses consecutively is one in 1,048,576, hence one of the rarest statistical streaks in cricket history.
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The Netherlands previously held the unwanted record of 11 consecutive ODI toss losses between 2011 and 2013, whereas India have almost doubled that record.
India Dominated Despite Losing Tosses
What makes this streak by India extraordinary is the team’s performance during it.
Even while losing 20 consecutive tosses:
It won 12 of those 20 ODIs (60% win rate)
Secured a tie, And famously won the 2025 Champions Trophy, unbeaten, having never won a toss in that tournament. India’s resilience stands out, compared to the Netherlands, who won only three ODIs during their streak.
Toss Troubles Across All Formats
India’s toss worries were not confined to ODIs alone. Since the 2023 World Cup final, India won only 33 of 96 completed matches across formats.
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Two major losing streaks stood tall:
11 wins in succession on the toss from November 2023 to January 2024, on their South Africa tour. 15 straight losses from January 31 to July 31, 2025, including all five Tests in England. The previous all-format global record was held by West Indies, who lost 12 tosses in succession in 1999.
India’s Toss Record Before the Curse
Interestingly, between November 15, 2021 and November 15, 2023, India won more than 50% of their tosses. The complete reversal in fortunes after the 2023 World Cup was sudden and unprecedented.
Captaincy and Toss Win Rates
Six different captains led India during that period, and with diverse fortunes:
The lowest toss win percentage had KL Rahul, who broke this streak, with 16.67%
Sharma, Gill, and Yadav won less than 40 percent of the tosses. The exception was Jasprit Bumrah, who won both the tosses he got as Test captain in Australia. Rishabh Pant lost the toss in his only Test as captain (Guwahati vs South Africa).
India Still the Best Team Despite Toss Misfortune
Since the 2023 World Cup final,
Its percentage of wins for the toss for Full-Member countries is the lowest among all, coming in at 34.38%. Yet, India’s match win percentage is the highest, 65.63%. When India lost the toss, they still won 64.91% of matches again the highest among Full-Member nations. Hence, India always came out better than any other team under unfavourable conditions and disadvantages of the toss.
But Some Teams Did Capitalise
Despite the overall dominance of India, two teams utilized the advantage gained through the toss:
New Zealand, in Pune and Mumbai. Kolkata, Guwahati vs South Africa India lost all four matches. The Guwahati Test marked the biggest home Test defeat for India by runs (408). Conclusion: When Did India Break ODI Toss Curse?
India ended their woeful record of never winning the toss at the third ODI against South Africa in Visakhapatnam. After failing to win the toss in the previous twenty-one ODI matches, India’s players stepped up to win the match despite the difficulty of winning the toss. In other words, India has shown that they are adaptable, even when they lose the toss.
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