WATCH: KL Rahul finally wins a toss, celebrates as India break 20-match losing streak

India had gone so long without winning a toss that it had almost become a running joke. So when KL Rahul called it right in Visakhapatnam ahead of the third ODI vs South Africa, his reaction said everything. A quick fist pump, a wide smile, and a sense of relief. The moment instantly went viral. India chose to bowl first, and this toss mattered because the team had lost 20 tosses in a row across formats.

That streak started when Rohit Sharma lost the toss to Pat Cummins in the 2023 World Cup final. Since then, nothing had gone India’s way at the coin flip, until today. Rahul didn’t hide how much the moment meant. He explained that the team had trained under lights on Friday and expected a bit of dew, but not as early as Ranchi or Raipur.

“We were obviously planning to bowl second, keeping our track record in mind,” he said with a smile. “Still, we wanted to change things up and see how we bowl first. It looks like a good wicket.”

With the series level at 1-1, Rahul also backed the group’s overall effort in the first two games. He pointed out that even though India conceded 360 in Raipur, the conditions and match-ups made the chase tougher than it looked from the outside.

“For me and the leadership group, we’re really happy with how we played,” Rahul said. “There are a lot of positives. The chat has been to stay consistent with what we’re doing. We know the results will follow.” India made one change for the decider, bringing in Tilak Varma for Washington Sundar.

As the match moved ahead, Rahul’s toss win gave India a small but much-needed psychological boost. After 20 straight losses at the coin, the captain’s simple fist pump captured exactly how every Indian fan felt, finally.