India’s Biggest Defeats In T20 World Cups (AFP)
Apart from their campaign opener against the USA, defending champions India, have hardly been tested in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026. With easy wins over Pakistan, Namibia, and the Netherlands, India entered their first Super 8 clash against South Africa with immense confidence.
However, the Aiden Markram-led South Africa steered into the game with a chip on their shoulder and a point to prove, meeting Team India for the first time in the world T20 competition after losing the T20 World Cup 2024 final to them.
Prior to this game, the defending T20 World Cup champions had been on an 18-match-winning streak across ICC white-ball tournaments. Unbeaten in the 2024 T20 World Cup, they replicated that in the Champions Trophy 2025, and carried their unbeaten run in the T20 WC 2026, till the group stage.
Nonetheless, they were humbled by South Africa, at the same venue where they last lost an ICC white-ball game, the 2023 World Cup final against Australia.
Also Read: When Was The Last Time India Were Knocked Out Before Semifinals Of An ICC Event?
The 76-run defeat forced several unwanted stains on India’s T20 World Cup memories.
That being said, in this article, we take a look at India’s biggest defeats in the tournament history in terms of runs.
India’s heaviest losses in T20 World Cup history by runs
3. 47-run vs New Zealand, T20 World Cup 2016 Super 10
New Zealand claimed a shock 47-run victory over tournament favourites India in the opening match of the ICC T20 World Cup 2016 Super 10s.
Chasing 127 runs to win on a slow, low surface in Nagpur, the hosts were bowled out for a paltry 79 in 18.1 overs despite captain MS Dhoni's 30.
Mitchell Santner took 4-11, Ish Sodhi 3-18 and Nathan McCullum 2-15 as nine Indian wickets fell to spin. New Zealand's total of 126-7 was built around Corey Anderson's patient 34.
2. 49-run vs Australia, T20 World Cup 2010 Super 8
During the T20 World Cup 2010 Super 8, India suffered a 49-run defeat at the hands of mighty Australia. In a patently one-sided game, MS Dhoni's side folded for 135 chasing Australia's 184-5.
Notably, Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja took the hammering of a lifetime as explosive fifties from Shane Watson and David Warner took Australia to an imposing score in a crucial Super Eights game. India then slipped to 50-7 in the 11th over before Rohit Sharma's unbeaten 79 (46b, 4x4, 6x6) took them into triple-figures.
Apart from him, only Harbhajan Singh managed to score in double figures, 13 off 11; the rest of the Indian batting line-up fell short against the Aussie bowlers.
1. 76-run vs South Africa, T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8
South Africa crushed India by 76 runs in their Super 8 clash in Ahmedabad on February 22, 2026, sending shockwaves through their camp with an intimidating win that crushed their confidence and will. While chasing 188, the co-hosts were folded for a mere 111 runs with seven balls to spare.
Notably, the 76-run margin loss marked India’s biggest-ever defeat in their T20 World Cup history, eclipsing the 49-run loss to Australia 16 years ago in Bridgetown. It was also their second-biggest defeat by runs in all T20Is, behind the 80-run loss to New Zealand in Wellington in 2019.
