Rohit Sharma Claims Unwanted Record! IPL Players With Most Ducks
The Double-Edged Sword of IPL Batting
The Indian Premier League (IPL) has long been a stage where batting greatness is measured with towering sixes and match-winning knocks. Fans and pundits alike celebrate the art of the perfect cover drive or the audacity of a reverse sweep. However, amid the glamour of exquisite stroke-play, there lies a more somber statistic: the ‘duck’. This dreaded scoreless outing is a part of the game that even the greatest legends cannot always avoid.
While tailenders are often expected to account for the majority of scoreless outings due to their lower batting order positions, even experienced batters with lengthy, storied IPL careers can find themselves accumulating an unwanted tally of zeros. Today, we examine the players who occupy the top of this list, highlighting the variance between their immense talent and these occasional moments of frustration.
3. Piyush Chawla and Rashid Khan – 16 Ducks Each
Entering the list at the third position are two iconic spin bowlers who have contributed significantly to their respective franchises. Former Indian spinner Piyush Chawla has registered 16 ducks in 92 innings spanning an impressive 192 IPL matches. Over a 16-season career playing for four different franchises, Chawla notched up 624 runs at a modest average of 11.14. Despite his struggles with the bat, his contribution to the game is undeniable, with his decisive cameo in the 2014 IPL final for KKR remaining one of his most celebrated moments.
Sharing this spot is the legendary Rashid Khan. The Afghanistan all-rounder has also tallied 16 ducks in his storied IPL career from 72 innings. However, the context here is vastly different. Unlike traditional tailenders, Rashid possesses a genuine penchant for scoring rapid runs at the death. With an IPL fifty to his name and a staggering career strike rate of 157.36, he remains one of the most dangerous finishers in the modern game.
2. Dinesh Karthik and Sunil Narine – 18 Ducks Each
Moving up to the second position, we find two players who have been central to the KKR narrative over the years. Dinesh Karthik, an IPL journeyman of the highest order, has tallied 18 ducks. It is important to contextualize this record: Karthik played 257 matches over 17 seasons between 2008 and 2024. A veteran of several franchises including RCB, KKR, and Mumbai Indians, he proved his worth by aggregating 4,842 runs in 234 innings, cementing his status as one of the most prolific wicketkeeper-batters in the history of the league.
Alongside him stands Sunil Narine, the KKR franchise stalwart. The West Indies all-rounder has also accumulated 18 ducks, though in fewer innings compared to his counterparts. Having debuted in 2012, Narine has batted 126 times over his 15-year career. Beyond the ducks, he has showcased incredible versatility, tallying seven fifties and a century. With a blistering career strike rate of 165.30, he has successfully transitioned from a top-order dynamo to a clinical death-overs slogger.
1. Rohit Sharma and Glenn Maxwell – 19 Ducks Each
At the pinnacle of this list, we find two of the most destructive forces in white-ball cricket. Rohit Sharma, one of only two cricketers in IPL history to amass over 7,000 runs, now holds the joint-highest number of ducks. The legendary opener registered the 19th duck of his IPL career during the Mumbai Indians’ final home match of the 2026 season at the Wankhede Stadium. Dismissed for a four-ball duck by Jofra Archer, this moment added to his overall tally of 19 ducks in 276 innings across his time with the Deccan Chargers and Mumbai Indians.
Sharing the top spot is the Australian powerhouse Glenn Maxwell. While he has fewer innings than Rohit—135 in total—the frequency of his scoreless dismissals is notable, occurring on average once every seven innings. Throughout his 141-match career across four franchises, Maxwell has delivered many match-winning performances, including 18 half-centuries. However, his run-scoring patterns have often been marked by volatility, with his fifties concentrated heavily in just three seasons (2014, 2021, and 2023), illustrating the ‘boom or bust’ nature of his high-risk batting style.
The Reality of Professional Cricket
Statistically, the occurrence of ducks is often a byproduct of intent. Players like Glenn Maxwell and Sunil Narine operate at high strike rates, meaning they are frequently looking to clear the boundary from the very first ball. Similarly, veterans like Rohit Sharma and Dinesh Karthik have played such a high volume of matches that statistical fluctuations are inevitable. While these names topping the list might be surprising, their overall contributions to the IPL far outweigh these momentary lapses in form.
