Australia have registered their longest winning streak in T20Is, but they still trail behind Afghanistan and India in terms of consecutive wins by a full-member nation.
Australia defeated South Africa by 17 runs in the first T20I of a three-match series on Sunday in Darwin. Tim David's impressive 83 runs, combined with Josh Hazlewood's three-wicket haul, led the hosts to a comfortable victory. This win marked Australia's ninth consecutive T20I victory, setting a new national record.
The streak began in November 2024 with a 3-0 series win against Pakistan at home. This was followed by a 5-0 series sweep against the West Indies in July 2025.
While this is Australia's longest winning streak in T20Is, they still lag behind Afghanistan and India, who have both won 12 T20Is in a row. The overall record for consecutive T20I wins is held by Spain, with 14 straight victories. However, within the full-member nations of the ICC, Afghanistan and India jointly hold the record.
Afghanistan achieved their record between February 2018 and September 2019. Their streak included six wins at their adopted home ground in Dehradun, India. Between March 2016 and March 2017, Afghanistan also had an 11-match winning streak. India's 12 consecutive T20I wins came between November 2021 and February 2022. This streak commenced with a victory against Afghanistan in the T20 World Cup and concluded with a win over Sri Lanka.
Other notable T20I winning streaks include:
In the broader context of T20 cricket, the Pakistan domestic team, Sialkot Stallions, holds the record for the most consecutive wins with 25 between February 2006 and October 2010. In the Indian T20 League, Kolkata Knight Riders won 14 matches in a row between May and October 2014.
Australia's recent form has been impressive, with 22 wins out of 26 matches since the beginning of 2024. However, they suffered losses to Afghanistan and India in the T20 World Cup. They bounced back with series wins against Scotland and Pakistan (3-0), a 1-1 draw with England, and a 5-0 sweep against the West Indies.
The victory against South Africa was also Australia's sixth consecutive win against them in T20Is. Australia last lost a T20I to South Africa in February 2020. The overall head-to-head record stands at 18 wins for Australia and 8 for South Africa.
Mitchell Marsh acknowledged the team's winning streak and emphasized the importance of backing their execution. Tim David's player-of-the-match performance, along with Hazlewood's bowling, played a crucial role in the win. Australia were bowled out for 178, with David's 83 rescuing them from an early collapse. South Africa were restricted to 161/9, with Ryan Rickelton's 71 being the only significant contribution.
