India suffered a humiliating six-wicket defeat against West Indies in the second T20I in Ranchi on October 9, 2026. Despite posting a massive total of 249/5, the Indian bowlers failed to defend the target as West Indies chased it down in just 18.3 overs.
Under Shreyas Iyer’s captaincy, India failed to defend a total of more than 240 runs in T20 international cricket for the first time.
But forget about this embarrassing defeat for a moment. Shreyas Iyer has an even more worrying record attached to his captaincy.
Iyer has now been on the losing side as captain in three T20 matches where his team posted 240 or more runs. He is the only captain whose team is unable to defend target of 240+ runs thrice. Two of those defeats came in the IPL, while the latest came against West Indies in international cricket.
Shreyas Iyer’s Unwanted Record: Three Failed Defences of 240+ Runs
Here are the three occasions when teams led by Shreyas Iyer failed to defend totals exceeding 240 runs.
| Date | Iyer’s team | Score | Opposition’s score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Apr 2024 | KKR | 261/6 | PBKS 262/2 (18.4) |
| 12 Apr 2025 | BKS | 245/6 | SRH 247/2 (18.3) |
| 9 Oct 2026 | India | 249/5 | WI 252/4 (18.3) |
All three matches ended in eight-wicket or six-wicket defeats despite Iyer’s teams putting enormous totals on the board.
IPL 2024: Kolkata Knight Riders Failed to Defend 261 Against Punjab Kings
The first such defeat came on April 26, 2024, when Shreyas Iyer was leading Kolkata Knight Riders against Punjab Kings at Eden Gardens.
KKR posted a massive 261/6 in 20 overs, thanks to brilliant batting performances from Phil Salt, who scored 75 off 37 balls, and Sunil Narine, who smashed 71 off 32 deliveries.
Iyer himself contributed 28 runs off just 10 balls.
However, Punjab Kings made a mockery of the target.
Jonny Bairstow smashed an unbeaten 108 off 48 balls, while Shashank Singh scored 68 not out off 28 deliveries.
Punjab Kings chased down 262 runs in just 18.4 overs and registered an eight-wicket victory.
Match scorecard
Kolkata Knight Riders
261/6 (20 overs)
Punjab Kings
262/2 (18.4 overs)
PBKS won by 8 wickets.
IPL 2025: Punjab Kings Failed to Defend 245 Against Sunrisers Hyderabad
The second instance came during IPL 2025, when Iyer was captaining Punjab Kings against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 12.
Punjab Kings scored 245/6 in 20 overs, with Shreyas Iyer leading from the front by scoring 82 off 36 deliveries.
It looked like Punjab had done enough to win the match, but SRH opener Abhishek Sharma had other plans.
Abhishek smashed an extraordinary 141 off just 55 balls, while Travis Head contributed 66 off 37 deliveries.
SRH chased down the target in just 18.3 overs, winning by eight wickets.
Match scorecard
Punjab Kings
245/6 (20 overs)
Sunrisers Hyderabad
247/2 (18.3 overs)
SRH won by 8 wickets.
This was the second occasion when an Iyer-led team had failed to defend a total exceeding 240 runs.
IND vs WI 2026: India Failed to Defend 249 Under Shreyas Iyer
The third defeat came on October 9, 2026, when India faced West Indies in the second T20I at Ranchi.
India posted 249/5, with Sanju Samson scoring 82 off 41 deliveries. Ishan Kishan added 43 off 22 balls, while captain Shreyas Iyer smashed 40 off just 18 deliveries.
Tilak Varma also played an outstanding unbeaten knock of 44 off 18 balls.
However, despite putting such a massive total on the board, India’s bowling attack failed to defend it.
Sherfane Rutherford smashed 84 off 37 deliveries, while captain Shai Hope remained unbeaten on 102 off just 45 balls.
West Indies eventually reached 252/4 in just 18.3 overs, registering a historic six-wicket victory.
Match scorecard
India
249/5 (20 overs)
West Indies
252/4 (18.3 overs)
West Indies won by 6 wickets
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