Teams with best T20I head-to-head records

T20 cricket is currently the most-lucrative format of the game. Consistency though is difficult to obtain in the shortest format, mainly due to its unpredictability. Teams don’t often get winning streaks in T20s.

However, there have been a few teams who have managed to gain the upper hand over a particular opposition in T20Is. So, here’s a look at the best head-to-head record between two teams in the shortest format of the game.

Note – This list excludes records against Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, Ireland and Associate Nations.

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#6 West Indies against England (11/15 wins)

West Indies might not be the same force in Tests that they were back in the 1970s and 1980s but when it comes to Twenty20 cricket, they are a power-house. They were slow to start off, but since the turn of the decade, they have been one of the most dominating teams in the shortest format.

Against England, they've enjoyed a very good run, winning 11 out of 15 T20s. England and West Indies started their T20 rivalry with a 2-match T20 series in 2007. After that series, which was closely fought (ended 1-1), England have managed to win only three games against the Windies in 13 matches (in 2011, 2012 and 2014).

Even in World T20s, Windies have managed to get the better of England. They have won all 5 games, including the memorable final of the World T20 2016 where Carlos Braithwaite launched 4 sixes in the final over to help Windies clinch their second World T20 title.

#5 South Africa against New Zealand (11/15 Wins)

South Africa are one of two teams to have played 100 T20Is

South Africa have generally done well against New Zealand in all formats. They have won 25 out of 45 Tests and 41 out of 70 ODIs against the Blackcaps. Their fine form extends to the shortest format as well where they have won 11 out of 15 T20Is.

South Africa and New Zealand played the 3rd T20I in the history of International Twenty20 cricket, in October 2005, with the Kiwis coming out on top after chasing down 133. But that was the only T20 series New Zealand managed to win against the Proteas. Moreover, the Proteas are unbeaten against the Blackcaps in World T20s, winning all four encounters (in 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2014).

After New Zealand’s win in 2005, South Africa won four consecutive games against them (out of which three came in World T20s). Out of the four wins that New Zealand have against South Africa, two of them came in 2012.

#4 Pakistan against West Indies (8/11 wins)

Pakistan have been very consistent in the T20 format

It is a little surprising that Pakistan and West Indies didn’t play a single T20I against each other until 2011. However, since the first T20 between these two teams, which was played in April 2011, they’ve played a total of 14 games.

While their record in Test matches and ODIs is neck and neck, Pakistan are way ahead in terms of T20Is. In 11 outings, they have won eight. They have lost only one T20 series to the Windies (the first T20 series between these two teams in 2011). West Indies lost five consecutive T20s against Pakistan, in 2016 and 2017 (three in UAE and two in West Indies), before pulling one back.

A win percentage of 72.72 is evidence of Pakistan's dominance.

#3 Pakistan against Sri Lanka (13/18 wins)

Pakistan recently whitewashed Sri Lanka 3-0 in the T20I series

Pakistan are the only team to appear twice on this list. One of the main reasons is the sheer number of T20Is that they play. Pakistan have played the most number of T20 Internationals - 120 (only one other team - South Africa - has crossed the 100 mark).

Pakistan enjoy playing Sri Lanka in all formats. They have the upper hand (in terms of wins) in every format. In T20s, they’ve played 18 games against the island nation and have emerged victorious in 13 of those (most for Pakistan against any team). Sri Lanka have won 51 T20Is (third-most) out of the 99 they’ve played, but they haven’t found a way to win consistently against Pakistan.

Sri Lanka’s last T20I win against Pakistan came in 2013 in Dubai where they squared the series 1-1 after being 0-1 down. In six T20Is since then, the Lankans have lost all of them. Be it home, away or at neutral venues, Pakistan have dominated Sri Lanka in the shortest format of the game.

#2 India against Pakistan (7/8 wins)

In World T20 encounters, India have won all five games against Pakistan

Regarded as one of the fiercest rivalries in cricket, India and Pakistan don’t play each other often due to the political tension that exists between the two nations. But the arch-rivals do play in multi-team/ICC events like the World Cup, World T20 and the Asia Cup.

While Pakistan had the upper hand in the early stages of the rivalry, it is India who have dominated in the past few years. In T20Is, India’s record against their arch-rivals is simply phenomenal. In eight games, India have won seven (including the bowl-out win in 2007 World T20).

In the inaugural World T20, India and Pakistan played two memorable games. The first one resulted in a bowl-out and India emerged victorious. The second game was the final of the competition and only five runs separated the two teams with India eventually emerging winners.

Moving forward to 2012, Pakistan lost once again, this time in the 2012 World T20.

In December 2012, both cricketing boards (BCCI and PCB) decided to put to an end a five-year hiatus as Pakistan toured India for a short limited-overs series (two T20Is and three ODIs). It was in the first T20 of this tour that the former registered their first win in the shortest format against India.

Since then though it’s been all India. Overall, India have a win percentage of 87.5% against their arch-rivals in the shortest version of the game.

#1 New Zealand against India (5/5 wins)

New Zealand did very well on a turning track in Nagpur in 2016

Across formats, New Zealand are a team known to punch above their weight. They always prepare and strategize well for every game they play.

Against the Blackcaps, India usually start as favourites irrespective of the format. But in T20Is, New Zealand have been India’s curse. In five games against the Men in Blue, the Blackcaps haven't been beaten, with two of those games coming in World T20s.

Except for the 2016 World T20 match in Nagpur, all the other games have been close, with India having an opportunity to seal all of them at certain stages of the match. In the World T20 in 2007, they failed to chase down 190 after being 76-1 in the powerplay. In the 2-match series in 2009, India failed to defend 162 and 149 (despite being ahead in both games). In 2012, they fell short by 1 run while chasing 168.

In 2016, meanwhile, they crumbled against the spin-combo of Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner as they were skittled out for 79, chasing 127.