India, in recent times, have improved their record at ICC events when it comes to winning games. In the last two decades, their frequency of wins and rate of victories have really gone up. Other teams struggle to keep up while India just breezes through the initial stages.
In fact, Team India has a knack of making it all the way to the final without losing a single game. Yes, they have a habit of entering the summit clash without a single loss against them. Just goes to show how dangerous they can be in the league stage and also in the knockout phase of the tournament,
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So what has happened in the title clash? Have India been able to deliver the killer blow or have they failed to pass the final hurdle?
Let’s find out what fate befell the Men in Blue the times they made it to an ICC final without losing a single game:
1. Champions Trophy 2002
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India and Sri Lanka had to share the tournament after the final was washed out in spite of a reserve day. Both sides did deserve the trophy after winning every game in the competition.
2. Champions Trophy 2013
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India had a great unbeaten run into the final and they continued it when they narrowly beat England by five runs in a game reduced to 20 overs per side after the rain came down.
3. T20 World Cup 2014
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India destroyed all who came before them and effortlessly made it to the final. But Sri Lanka ended their dream run and inflicted a painful six-wicket loss that hurts to this day.
4. ODI World Cup 2023
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It was India’s third entry into the tournament’s final and first since winning the title in 2011. India had won all games and also beaten Australia, their opponents, in the league stage. But this time Australia were in no mood to let it happen again and they won by six wickets. India lost in front of a capacity crowd on home soil in the final.
5. T20 World Cup 2024
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India beat England to enter their first T20 World Cup final in 10 years. Their only title came back in 2007 in the first edition. This time they take on South Africa, the side they beat in the 2014 semis. Will India go the distance? Or will they falter when it matters the most? They have not lost a single game and will hope to keep it that way and end the 11-year ICC title drought.