Team India faced a major setback on home soil as they suffered their worst-ever T20 defeat in terms of runs. In the second T20I against South Africa at Mullanpur on Thursday night, India fell short by 51 runs, allowing the visitors to level the five-match series 1-1. This loss comes right after India’s massive 101-run victory in the first match.
South Africa Posts Mammoth Total
Winning the toss, India opted to bowl first. However, the decision backfired as South African batters dominated from the start. They smashed their way to a commanding total of 213/4 in 20 overs. Except for Varun Chakravarthy, Indian bowlers struggled to contain the scoring rate and leaked runs consistently.
India’s Chase Falters Despite Tilak Varma’s Fight
Chasing 214, India failed to get the strong start they needed. On a batting-friendly pitch, Tilak Varma stood tall with a fighting knock, but the rest of the batting lineup collapsed under pressure. Team India was bundled out for 162 in 19.1 overs, resulting in a heavy defeat.
A New Unwanted Record for India
With this loss, India registered their biggest T20 defeat at home in terms of runs. The previous record was a 49-run loss—also against South Africa—in 2022. The Proteas have now broken that record with the 51-run victory.
India’s Top 5 Biggest Defeats in T20s (By Runs)
- 51 runs – vs South Africa, Mullanpur
- 49 runs – vs South Africa, Indore
- 47 runs – vs New Zealand, Nagpur
- 40 runs – vs New Zealand, Rajkot
- 29 runs – vs Sri Lanka, Nagpur
Team India will now look to regroup quickly and bounce back in the remaining matches of the series.
