Sri Lanka Has Lost Hundred T20 Internationals, But Were They The First? Find out the facts…

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Sri Lanka's men's cricket team's below-par performance often sparks widespread criticism on social media. Much of the blame is valid, as the recent performance of the SL team has left much to be desired. However, there's also a noticeable trend of misleading or false information targeting the cricket team, aiming to tarnish their reputation further.

This mix of genuine criticism and misinformation adds complexity to the public discourse surrounding the team's struggles, making it essential for social media users to evaluate online information critically.

Social Media Posts

During Sri Lanka’s recent tour in Bangladesh, social media fans from either side took out at each other in a series of sarcastic and, at times, derogatory posts.

Just after the second T20 match between the two sides, which Sri Lanka lost, several posts claimed that Sri Lanka had become the first cricketing nation to lose a hundred (100) T20 international matches, as seen below.

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A few Sri Lankan users also shared these posts, as seen here & here.

Only one international T20 match took place among the three sides listed in the above post, which originated on March 6th. That was the final match of the three-match series between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Sri Lanka went on to win that match and clinch the series 2-1. More on that here. All T20 match details are here.

Therefore, if the above data were correct, Sri Lanka would have 100 losses, becoming the first country to reach this figure. The West Indies should have 99 losses, and Bangladesh, with one extra loss, should have 97 losses at present. We decided to investigate these claims.

Fact Check:

Since different websites maintain statistics on international cricket games, we looked at detailed records to ascertain the above claim.

Sri Lanka's T20 International Record: According to ESPN Cricinfo, as of April 6^th, Sri Lanka’s T20 international record indicates that they have lost 98 matches outright. Additionally, Sri Lanka has been involved in four tied games. The Sri Lankan team has lost two of such tied games. Hence, the total losses technically amount to 100 occasions, where Sri Lanka has ended up on the losing side. More details can be read here.

So, in all, Sri Lanka lost 100 matches and won 87, and their winning ratio is 46.03% at the time of writing. Sri Lanka also emerged as T20 World Cup champions in 2014.

West Indies' T20 International Record: Since the posts listed West Indies as also having a high number of losses, we checked their detailed record as well. The West Indies team has indeed lost 99 T20 international matches outright. Additionally, they have been involved in 3 games that ended in a tie, and one of them resulted in a loss after a super over. This technically amounts to 100 occasions where West Indies ended up on the losing side. More details can be read here.

So, West Indies, too, had lost 100 matches and won 82, and their winning ratio stood at 42.71% at the time of writing. West Indies have won the T20 championship in 2012 and 2016.

So, looking at the total T20 international team records, both the Sri Lanka and West Indies teams have lost 100 matches so far.

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Analysis of the Claim: When examining the specific matches that led to each team’s 100^th loss, it is apparent that the West Indies faced their 100th T20 international loss against Australia on February 11, 2024. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's 100th T20 international loss occurred against Bangladesh on March 6, 2024.

Therefore, contrary to the claim circulating on social media, Sri Lanka is not the first cricket team to lose a hundred T20 international matches. Both Sri Lanka and the West Indies have reached this milestone, but the West Indies reached their first.

We looked at the detailed record of Bangladesh in T20’s also, and as of the 6th of April, the record stands at 97 losses, 60 wins at a win ratio of 37.27%.

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Conclusion:

In conclusion, the claim that Sri Lanka had become the first cricket team to lose 100 T20 international matches is false. West Indies became the first country to lose 100 T20 international matches in February 2024, and a month later, in March 2024, Sri Lanka too reached this milestone.