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LisIPL Players With Most Ducks: The Unwanted Record Holders

Arjun Mehta · · 4 min read
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The Unwanted Side of IPL Batting Brilliance

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has long been a stage where batting greatness is measured with towering sixes and match-winning knocks. Amid the glamour of exquisite stroke-play, there lies a more somber statistic that even the greatest icons of the game cannot always escape: the dreaded ‘duck.’ While tailenders are often expected to account for a portion of scoreless outings, even experienced batters with lengthy and illustrious IPL careers can find themselves accumulating an unwanted tally of zeros.

In this analysis, we look at the specific LisIPL Players With Most Ducks, exploring the careers of stars who have faced the humiliation of walking back to the pavilion without troubling the scorers.

1. The Leaders of the Pack: Rohit Sharma and Glenn Maxwell (19 Ducks)

Topping the list are two of the most explosive names in world cricket. Rohit Sharma, one of only two cricketers in IPL history to amass over 7,000 runs, holds the joint-highest number of ducks in his career. 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 in the opening over, Rohit has recorded 19 ducks in 276 innings across his time with the Deccan Chargers and Mumbai Indians.

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Sharing this unenviable record is Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell, who has reached 19 ducks in just 135 innings. This means that, on average, Maxwell records an IPL duck once in every seven innings. Despite scoring 18 half-centuries in his 13-year journey, his stats reflect an uneven run, with 15 of those fifties occurring in just three seasons (2014, 2021, and 2023).

2. The Seasoned Veterans: Dinesh Karthik and Sunil Narine (18 Ducks)

Former KKR skipper and veteran wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has tallied 18 ducks during his 17-season career between 2008 and 2024. Despite this record, Karthik remains one of the most prolific wicketkeepers in the tournament’s history, aggregating 4,842 runs in 234 innings while representing franchises such as RCB, KKR, Delhi Capitals, Punjab Kings, Mumbai Indians, and Gujarat Lions.

Joining him on 18 ducks is the KKR icon Sunil Narine. Having played 201 matches since his debut in 2012, the West Indies all-rounder has been a pivotal force for the Kolkata franchise. Narine’s aggressive batting style, characterized by a strike rate of 165.30, has seen him serve as both a top-order dynamite and a death-overs slogger, proving that even the most impactful players can occasionally fall for a duck.

3. The Spinners’ Struggle: Piyush Chawla and Rashid Khan (16 Ducks)

Rounding out our look at the players with the highest number of ducks, we find two of the most successful spinners in IPL history. Piyush Chawla registered 16 ducks in 92 innings. A veteran of 16 seasons, Chawla has played for four different franchises. While his batting average stands at a modest 11.14, his contribution to the tournament is cemented by his wicket-taking ability and his memorable cameo in the 2014 KKR final.

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Rashid Khan also sits on 16 ducks from 72 innings. Unlike traditional tailenders, the Gujarat Titans star is known for his ability to strike quick runs in the final overs. With an impressive batting strike rate of 157.36 and an IPL fifty to his name, Rashid remains a threat with the bat despite the frequency of his scoreless dismissals.

Conclusion

The existence of the LisIPL Players With Most Ducks list does not diminish the greatness of these athletes. In the high-stakes, high-risk environment of T20 cricket, where batters are expected to swing at almost every ball, a duck is often a byproduct of aggressive intent. Whether it is a top-order opener or a lower-order slogger, the pressure of the IPL ensures that nobody is truly immune to the occasional zero.

Arjun Mehta

Arjun Mehta is a senior cricket analyst and features writer for Cricbuzz, where he deciphers the Indian Premier League auction strategies, player development arcs, and the ever-changing dynamics of the national team. A Pune-based journalist with a sharp eye for numbers and a fluent storytelling style, Mehta has covered every IPL season since 2014 and reported from two ICC Men's T20 World Cups. His work often explores the business of cricket, dressing-room politics, and how grassroots systems across South Asia feed into the global game. An alumnus of Symbiosis Institute of Media & Communication, Arjun is also a popular voice on Cricbuzz Live shows and a regular contributor to cricket podcasts.