India Captain KL Rahul ended one of the strangest statistical droughts in cricket history on Saturday, December 6, 2025, when he finally won the toss on his 21st attempt in ODIs, snapping a 20-match losing streak that had stretched more than two years. The last time India had called correctly in an ODI was on November 15, 2023—during the World Cup Semi-final against New Zealand at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. Rahul promptly credited commentator and former India left-arm spinner Murali Kartik, who was conducting the toss for the series-deciding third ODI against South Africa at the Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Stadium.

As the coin landed tails—exactly what Rahul called—Kartik grinned and asked, “Is it me or is it you?” Rahul, laughing, shot back: “It’s you. I think you should do more tosses.” Kartik then revealed he had also been the presenter the previous time an Indian captain won a toss—when Shubman Gill called correctly in the second Test against the West Indies in Delhi earlier in 2025. The exchange instantly went viral, with fans hailing Kartik as India’s new “lucky charm”.

The streak had become a national joke, with Rahul personally responsible for 15 consecutive losses since taking over the limited-overs captaincy. It spanned the entire 2024 home season, the Asia Cup, and the first two games of the current South Africa series. Rahul wasted no time celebrating the breakthrough, opting to bowl first on a greenish pitch under overcast skies, banking on his pace trio of Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, and Harshit Rana to exploit early movement.

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With the series level at 1-1 after South Africa’s dramatic chase in Raipur, India, one change was made: left-hander Tilak Varma replaced off-spin all-rounder Washington Sundar. The visitors, already depleted, lost fast bowler Nandre Burger and opener Tony de Zorzi to hamstring injuries sustained in the previous match; Ryan Rickelton and Ottneil Baartman were their replacements.

Rahul’s toss victory triggered wild celebrations in the Indian dressing room, with players mobbing their skipper as he walked back. Social media exploded with memes declaring “the curse is broken,” while many users demanded Kartik be appointed permanent toss presenter. Former players, including Virender Sehwag and Harbhajan Singh, joined the fun, congratulating both Rahul and Kartik for ending the “national embarrassment”.

As the teams took the field under cloudy Visakhapatnam skies, what began as a routine coin flip turned into a moment of genuine joy for Indian cricket. With a small statistical monkey finally off the team’s back, Rahul and his side now turn their focus to clinching their first bilateral ODI series win over South Africa since 2018—with a little extra luck courtesy of Murali Kartik.

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