Rohit Sharma equals Brian Lara for unwanted record

India began the ICC Champions Trophy against New Zealand in familiar but unfortunate fashion as Rohit Sharma lost the toss for the 12th consecutive time.

The loss put Sharma level with Brian Lara for most tosses lost in a row by any captain in international cricket.

As a team, India have lost an incredible 15 tosses in a row in a streak that stretches all the way back to the 2023 World Cup final against Australia.

Fortunately for India, their form has not been impacted by their lack of fortune at the toss, something that - according to Sharma - has allowed them to effectively take the toss out of the game as a deciding factor.

"Ahh. Look, we have been here. We have batted first and bowled first as well in this tournament," he said after losing the toss at the ICC Champions Trophy final in Dubai.

"We don’t mind doing either. So, I don’t mind batting second. It hasn’t changed much. We have chased well in the previous game. We have won chasing a few games. It does give you a lot of confidence and takes the toss away from the game.

“At the end of the day, all that matters is how well we play and not worrying too much about the toss.

"That is what we have spoken about in the dressing room. We need to play good cricket. Yeah, absolutely. No doubt.

"New Zealand have been a good team for many years. They have been doing well in ICC tournaments. Just embrace the occasion,” he added.

Despite the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy being hosted by Pakistan, the final - as well as all matches involving India - were played in Dubai following a special arrangement made by the BCCI and Cricket Pakistan due to india's fears over travelling to their neighbour for safety reasons.