India celebrate win in second T20I against Australia
India had a forgettable ODI calendar year in 2020, losing as many as six of their nine games, the number of wins being the least they have managed in the last four decades and the win-loss ratio being the worst since 1997. In Tests, India still have a chance to change their fate after a 2-0 drubbing in New Zealand. But in the format that presently matters the most, given that the next World T20 is less than 10 months, India fared the best, capping off their best calendar years and the best-ever registered by a full-member nation.
Of the 11 T20I matches scheduled for India in 2020, the Men in Blue lost just one while another was washed out due to rain. They defeated Sri Lanka 2-0 in a three-game contest with the opener in Guwahati being abandoned due to rain. India then blanked New Zealand in a five-game series at their own backyard which included two back-to-back Super Over wins, before almost repeating the feat in Australia until the leg-spinners haulted their unbeaten run in Sydney. India ended their final T20I series of the year with a 2-1 win Down Under.
India's win percentage of 90, registered for the calendar year 2020, is the best the Men in Blue have managed in any other calendar year (2006, 2008 and 2013 have not been considered as India played just one T20I match).
India's performance in T20Is year-wise...
| Completed matches | Won | Lost | Win % | Year |
| 10 | 9 | 1 | 90 | 2020 |
| 7 | 6 | 1 | 85.71429 | 2007 |
| 18 | 14 | 4 | 77.77778 | 2018 |
| 20 | 15 | 5 | 75 | 2016 |
| 7 | 5 | 2 | 71.42857 | 2014 |
| 13 | 9 | 4 | 69.23077 | 2017 |
| 7 | 4 | 3 | 57.14286 | 2010 |
| 14 | 8 | 6 | 57.14286 | 2012 |
| 16 | 9 | 7 | 56.25 | 2019 |
| 4 | 2 | 2 | 50 | 2011 |
| 10 | 4 | 6 | 40 | 2009 |
| 4 | 1 | 3 | 25 | 2015 |
India's T20I win percentage in 2020 is also the best-ever achieved by a team (played a minimum of 10 matches in a calendar year), only narrowly edging past Pakistan's run in 2018 when they had managed 17 wins in 19 games in 2018.
Best calendar-year performance by a team in T20Is (min. 10 matches)
| Team | Completed matches | Won | Lost | Win % | Year |
| India | 10 | 9 | 1 | 90 | 2020 |
| Pakistan | 19 | 17 | 2 | 89.47368 | 2018 |
| Sri Lanka | 9 | 8 | 1 | 88.88889 | 2014 |
| India | 7 | 6 | 1 | 85.71429 | 2007 |
| Pakistan | 8 | 6 | 1 | 75 | 2020 |
India's performance in 2020 also included a run of nine unbeaten wins which was a part of India's winning streak of ten games starting December 11, 2019, against West Indies in Mumbai. This was India's longest run and the third-best in the format in T20I cricket after Afghanistan's streak of 12 and 11 straight wins. Coinciding with this streak stood India's unbeaten run whilst chasing in a T20I game since February 2019, winning all nine games since, and their 11-match winning run in away games. All the three runs were put to rest in Sydney on Tuesday where India lost by 11 runs in the final tie of the series.
Virat Kohli registers unique captaincy record
With the win, Kohli became only the second skipper to lead his team to a series win Down Under in all three formats. South Africa's Faf du Plessis was the first to achieve the feat having led the nation to a 2-1 Test win in 2016/17 and limited-overs victory - 2-1 in ODIs and 1-0 in T20Is - in 2018. Kohli had led India to a historic 2-1 Test series win in 2018/19 tour which was followed by a come-from-behind three-match ODI series win in 2019. He completed the feat with the 2-1 T20I series win in 2020.
