India’s impressive winning streak in T20 Internationals, and more notably, all-rounder Shivam Dube’s extraordinary individual unbeaten run of 37 matches, came to a surprising end in Melbourne. The Men in Blue suffered a four-wicket defeat against Australia in the second T20I, a loss that also halted Jasprit Bumrah’s undefeated streak and captain Suryakumar Yadav’s string of victories. India’s performance with the bat was lackluster, leading to a modest target of 125 runs, which Australia comfortably chased down, securing a significant win. As expected, social media was quick to react, flooding the internet with humorous memes celebrating (and commiserating) the end of Dube’s surreal record.
The four-wicket defeat to Australia at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground not only handed the hosts a 1-0 advantage in the three-match series but also marked the end of an almost unbelievable individual record. All-rounder Shivam Dube had maintained an astonishing streak of 37 consecutive T20 Internationals without experiencing a loss since his debut in 2019. Over this incredible period, India secured 34 victories, with three matches ending in no-results. The last time Dube was on a losing T20I side was more than 2,150 days ago, in December 2019 against the West Indies. His unprecedented run was the longest in T20I history, surpassing records held by Uganda’s Pascal Murungi (27) and even India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah (24).
The Melbourne match proved to be a streak-breaker across the board. Jasprit Bumrah’s impressive 23-match unbeaten streak in T20Is also concluded, alongside Suryakumar Yadav’s run of nine consecutive wins as captain, putting him just two victories shy of Rohit Sharma’s Indian record of eleven captaincy wins.
The match itself quickly devolved into a nightmare for India’s batting lineup. Facing a lively pitch at the MCG, Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood delivered a masterclass, proving nearly unplayable with sensational figures of 3 wickets for just 13 runs in his four overs. India was bundled out for a mere 125 runs. Youngster Abhishek Sharma, however, showed commendable resilience, smashing a valiant 68 off 37 balls, while Harshit Rana contributed a crucial 35 off 33 to add some much-needed respectability to the total.
Batting lower down the order, Dube had little opportunity to make a significant impact on the game. Australia, in stark contrast, cruised past the target in just 13.2 overs, handing India one of its largest T20I defeats in history when measured by balls remaining.
India’s Biggest T20I Losses (by Balls Remaining):
- 52 balls – vs Australia, Melbourne (2008)
- 40 balls – vs Australia, Melbourne (2025)
- 33 balls – vs Sri Lanka, Colombo (2021)
- 33 balls – vs New Zealand, Dubai (2021)
- 31 balls – vs Australia, Colombo (2012)
Despite the disheartening outcome for India, the internet quickly found a silver lining in the form of humor. Social media timelines were flooded with creative memes and jokes as fans light-heartedly marked the end of one of cricket’s most unique and unexpected records.