India lost their 20th consecutive toss in One-Day Internationals (ODI) this Wednesday in a remarkable continuation of their wretched luck with the coin flip that has baffled the team and bemused fans.
India’s stand-in skipper KL Rahul flipped the coin in Raipur hoping to end a streak that started with the 2023 World Cup final in Ahmedabad when India had Rohit Sharma as the 50-over captain.
When the coin landed mid-pitch at Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, it obliged the rival captain again. South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma, who correctly called ‘heads’, elected to field.
Statistics suggest the odds of losing 20 tosses on the trot are one in 1 048 576.
The wry smile on Rahul’s face said it all but the wicketkeeper-batter, leading the side in the absence of injured skipper Shubman Gill, managed to joke about it.
“Honestly, this is the most pressure I’ve had because we haven’t won the toss in a long time. So, I’ve been practising, but clearly it is not working,” he said.
–Reuters–
