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India have been one of the most impressive teams in T20I cricket over the past few years. The Men in Blue won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2024 and followed it up with another title campaign in 2026. Therefore defeats in bilateral T20I series have been extremely rare.
In fact, India has lost only three T20 series so far this decade. These defeats came against Sri Lanka in 2021, against West Indies in 2023 and most recently against Ireland in 2026.
India’s defeat against Ireland in Belfast was not just another bilateral series defeat. This ended a remarkable period of dominance in T20 cricket. Before the Ireland series, India were unbeaten in their last 16 T20I series and tournaments, winning 15 and drawing one. During that period, they won two T20 World Cups, one Asia Cup and several overseas bilateral series.
The result made Shreyas Iyer only the third Indian captain after Shikhar Dhawan and Hardik Pandya to lose a T20 series this decade.
A look at every T20 series defeat India suffered this decade.
Sri Lanka surprised the weak Indian team in 2021
India’s first T20I series defeat of the decade came during the Sri Lanka tour in 2021 under Shikhar Dhawan.
The visiting team made a strong start by winning the opening match and are on their way to another comfortable series win. However, things changed dramatically after several Indian players were forced into isolation due to COVID-related concerns within the team.
With a very weak playing XI, India struggled in the remaining two matches. Sri Lanka took advantage of the opportunity and won the second T20I by four wickets before finishing the series with a seven-wicket win in the deciding T20I.
The result was historic for Sri Lanka as it marked its first bilateral series win over India in all formats since 2008. Many young Indian players were given opportunities during the series, but the inexperienced lineup could not overcome the challenge posed by the hosts.
West Indies end India’s dominance in thrilling 2023 series
India’s next T20I series defeat came two years later against the West Indies in the Caribbean. The five-match series was tightly contested from start to finish. West Indies suffered their first defeat by defending 149 runs in the opening match and then took a 2–0 lead in the second T20I after another close win.
India gave a brilliant reply. Suryakumar Yadav’s explosive batting helped the visitors win the third T20 match and then he performed brilliantly in Florida to level the series 2-2.
Despite everything, in the fifth and final match, India scored 165/9. However, Brandon King and Nicholas Pooran powered West Indies to an eight-wicket win with two overs to spare and clinched the series 3–2.
The defeat was particularly disappointing as India had come back from 0-2 down and seemed to have found their rhythm before faltering in the decider.
Ireland creates history against world champions in 2026
The most recent addition to the list occurred in June 2026 when Ireland pulled off the biggest upset in T20I history.
Fresh from their T20 World Cup win, India traveled to Belfast for a two-match series under new captain Shreyas Iyer. Ireland stunned the crowd in the opening match by scoring 182/9, courtesy a half-century from captain Lorcan Tucker and a quickfire 49 from Gareth Delany, before bowling out India for 148 and registering a 34-run win.
The second T20 match was even more dramatic. Ireland scored 154/8 and then showed courage to defend the target by only one run. Matt Hollard and Jai Mundhra bowled brilliantly as India were bowled out for 153 runs while chasing the target of 155 runs.
The result secured a 2–0 win and gave Ireland its first bilateral T20I series win over India. This was also India’s first T20I series defeat since the West Indies tour in 2023.
Ireland’s achievement becomes even more impressive when viewed through the lens of the ICC rankings. The Irish team entered the series outside the ICC men’s T20I top 10 rankings and did not have a single batsman in the top 50 or a single bowler in the top 25 of the ICC rankings.
Still, they managed to defeat the world No. 1 ranked T20 team and the reigning T20 World Cup champions. India also fielded the three highest-ranked T20I batsmen in the world, with the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 6 ranked batsmen all included in the playing eleven.
The 2-0 win not only secured Ireland’s first bilateral T20I series win over India but also ended India’s 16-match unbeaten streak in the shortest format.
A rare list for Team India
Despite the setback against Ireland, India’s overall record in T20 cricket during 2020 remains exceptional. The Men in Blue have won two T20 World Cups, one Asia Cup, several overseas series and have lost only three bilateral T20I series throughout the decade.
Those defeats came under three different captains: Shikhar Dhawan against Sri Lanka in 2021, Hardik Pandya against West Indies in 2023, and Shreyas Iyer against Ireland in 2026.
The Ireland defeat will hurt because of the surrounding circumstances, but it also highlights how rare it has become for India to lose a T20I series in modern cricket.
