India defeated Japan by two runs in Sano on Tuesday (September 22) in a five-overs-a-side contest and sealed a landmark 200th T20I win. The match was cut to five overs per side because of a wet outfield.
India posted only 32/4 but held Japan to 30/3 to win the first-ever T20I between the two teams. The result also made India the first team in the world — national or franchise — to reach 200 wins in the shortest format.
That gave the game added weight. A low-scoring match turned into a milestone night as India survived a late scare and extended their lead at the top of the all-time T20I wins list.
| Milestone Matches | Opponent | Victory Margin | Year | Venue |
| First win | South Africa | By 6 wickets | 2006 | Johannesburg |
| 50th win | Sri Lanka | By 7 wickets | 2017 | Colombo |
| 100th win | West Indies | By 8 runs | 2022 | Kolkata |
| 150th win | Australia | By 24 runs | 2024 | Gros Islet |
| 200th win | Japan | By 2 runs | 2026 | Sano |
Milestone By Numbers
The 200-win mark underlines India’s record in the format. They have 194 outright wins in 291 T20Is and another six wins in Super Overs.
Pakistan are next on the list with 176 wins from 303 matches. India now stand alone at the top in total victories in T20 internationals.
The numbers go further. India have played T20Is against 20 teams and beaten every one of them at least once. They are also the only side with a win percentage of more than 50 against all the teams they have faced so far.
| TEAM | TIME SPAN | MATCHES | WINS | DEFEATS | TIED | NO RESULT |
| India | 2006-2026 | 291 | 200* | 81 | 1 | 9 |
| Pakistan | 2005-2026 | 303 | 176 | 115 | 4 | 8 |
| Somerset | 2003-2026 | 317 | 174 | 131 | 3 | 9 |
| Lancashire | 2003-2026 | 288 | 166 | 108 | 9 | 5 |
| Mumbai Indians | 2008-2026 | 313 | 166 | 141 | 4 | 2 |
| Chennai Super Kings | 2008-2026 | 291 | 163 | 124 | 2 | 2 |
| Surrey | 2003-2026 | 299 | 163 | 123 | 4 | 9 |
| Nottinghamshire | 2003-2026 | 286 | 162 | 110 | 6 | 8 |
| Warwickshire | 2003-2026 | 292 | 161 | 119 | 4 | 8 |
| Hampshire | 2003-2026 | 311 | 156 | 134 | 8 | 13 |
Early Wickets Fall
India captain Shreyas Iyer chose to bat first. That call quickly ran into trouble when Abhishek Sharma fell for a golden duck in the first over.
Sanju Samson, who had hit back-to-back fifties against Afghanistan last week, also failed to cash in and returned to the pavilion in the second over. India then lost Ishan Kishan in the third over as the innings kept sliding.
Iyer offered the only real resistance. He made 16 before Charlie Hara-Hinze dismissed him on the fifth ball of the fifth over, leaving India on 32/4.
Defence Holds Firm
The chase looked modest. A target of 33 was not much, but India still had to scrap hard to protect it.
Japan pushed India close before finishing on 30/3. India held their nerve and closed out a two-run win.
Washington Sundar made the difference with the ball. He took 2 for 13 in his two overs to seal the result. India next play on September 28, 2026 in the quarterfinal of the Asian Games 2026.
