Long before the T20 Internationals evolved into the multi-match bilateral format they are in today, it was played as an occasional curtain-raiser or swan song to a Test or ODI bilateral series. India's very first T20I was also a one-off match, played against South Africa in 2006.

However, as time went on, multiple matches started featuring in each bilateral series. But on September 22, India will be playing a single match against Japan in Singapore in the Suzuki Cup. The last time they played a standalone T20I match was way back on September 6, when they faced Sri Lanka in Colombo.

India's Last One-Off Encounter Was a T20I Double Century

India last played a one-off T20I on September 6, 2017, finishing off a three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka at Colombo's R. Premadasa Stadium. Having already completed a clean sweep of the Test and ODI series, the Men in Blue aimed to finish the entire tour on a high.

Opting to field first, India's wrist-spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal proved decisive as the pair removed the heart and soul of the Sri Lankan batting lineup. The duo combined for five wickets as the tourists were eventually bowled out for 170/7 in 20 overs with only Dilshan Munaweera and Ashan Priyanjan providing any sort of resistance.

Chasing down the total, skipper Virat Kohli displayed his leadership qualities after losing two quick wickets in the powerplay by accelerating the scoring in the middle overs. However, the skipper would eventually fall in the penultimate over against Isuru Udana. Chasing a then-elusive 171, Manish Pandey steadied the innings before hitting the winning boundary with the last ball of the match to register a four-wicket win with four balls to spare.

A Historic Record in One-Off T20I Matches

Across 14 one-off T20I matches played between 2006 and 2017, India registered eight wins and six losses, compiling a 57.14 percent win-rate.

India started off on a high as the Men in Blue registered five wins out of their first six standalone matches. Their only loss in the early years came in 2008 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground against arch-rivals Australia, who bowled India out for a measly 74 runs.

India's fortunes in the mid-2010s saw them enter into a mini-slump as they suffered two consecutive one-off T20I losses against England and South Africa.

Their last defeat in a standalone match came against the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica. Chasing down 191 runs for victory, the Indian bowlers failed to restrict Evin Lewis, who remained not out on 125 off 63 balls as the home side registered a nine-ball victory.

As multi-game series have become the new normal across international cricket, one-off T20I matches have become a rarity in India's fixtures.