Team India will be taking the field for the 200th time in T20 Internationals today (August 3) in the first of the five-match series against the West Indies. The team played its first ever T20I back in December 2006 against South Africa. Notably, that was the only game India had played before entering the inaugural T20 World Cup (was then known as World T20) in 2007. The seniors had backed out of the format and MS Dhoni led a young team to the triumph beating arch-rivals Pakistan in the final by five runs.
The World Cup victory paved the way for the Indian Premier League (IPL) (in 2008) that has proved to be a revolution in not only the Indian but world cricket as well. But funnily enough, India have not won the T20 World Cup trophy since then. Nevertheless, the men in blue have played emphatic cricket in the shortest format and it could be only a matter of time before they lift their second T20 World Cup trophy.
Here are some numbers and stats from India's T20I journey:
1st T20I match
Team India made its debut in the T20I format on December 1, 2006 against South Africa. India chase down 127 with one ball and six wickets in hand.
100th T20I match
Team India played its 100th T20I against Ireland on June 27, 2018. They posted 208 runs on the back of Rohit Sharma's 97 and won the match by 76 runs.
200th T20I match
The Men in Blue will be playing their 200th T20I against Ireland on August 3, 2023 at the Brian Lara Stadium, Tarouba, Trinidad.
Journey from 1st T20I - 100th T20I - 200th T20I
Interestingly, India took a staggering 4226 days (from 2006 to 2018) to play their first 100 T20Is. But it has taken them only 1863 days (2018-2023) to play 100 more matches in the format.
Best win-loss record among full-member nations
India boast of the win percentage of 91.66 against Bangladesh having lost only one out of 12 matches played against them.
Record against Pakistan in T20Is
India have faced arch-rivals Pakistan in T20Is in 12 matches and won nine of them (including a Bowl out victory in T20 WC 2007 league stage) while losing three.
Highest total
India's highest total in T20Is is 260/5 against Sri Lanka (December 2017 in Indore)
Lowest total
India's lowest total in T20is is 74 against Sri Lanka (February 2008 in Melbourne)
Highest run-scorer
Virat Kohli is India's highest run-scorer having amassed 4008 runs in 115 matches. He is also the leading run-scorer overall in T20I cricket.
Highest wicket-taker
Yuzvendra Chahal is the top wicket-taker for India in T20Is having scalped 91 wickets.
Highest individual score
Shubman Gill has the highest individual score for India in T20Is. He scored 126* against New Zealand in February 2023 in Ahmedabad.
Most centuries
Rohit Sharma is at the top of this list for India having scored 4 centuries so far.
Most fiftes
Virat Kohli has scored most fifties (37) for India in T20Is.
Best bowling figures
Deepak Chahar returned with the figures of 6/7 against Bangladesh in November 2019 in Nagpur. Yuzvendra Chahal is the only other Indian bowler to pick six wickets in a T20I.
Most catches
Rohit Sharma has plucked the most 58 catches for India in 148 T20Is.
