LisIPL Players With Most Ducks: The Unwanted Record Holders
The Unwanted List: Understanding IPL Ducks
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 and aggressive run-scoring, there lies a more humbling statistic: the dreaded duck. While tailenders are often expected to account for a portion of these scoreless outings, even experienced batters with long, illustrious careers can find themselves accumulating an unwanted tally that haunts their statistics.
The Statistical Reality
In a format as fast-paced as the IPL, batters are required to take significant risks from the very first delivery. This high-risk, high-reward approach inevitably leads to early departures. Whether it is a perfectly placed delivery or an ambitious shot gone wrong, a ‘duck’ is part of the game’s inherent unpredictability. Below, we look at the players who have recorded the highest frequency of these scoreless appearances.
The 16-Duck Club: Piyush Chawla and Rashid Khan
Former Indian spinner Piyush Chawla has registered 16 ducks in 92 innings spanning 192 IPL matches. Having played for four different franchises over a 16-season career, Chawla notched up 624 runs at an average of 11.14. While he is celebrated as one of the leading wicket-takers in the tournament’s history, his batting contributions, including his famous cameo in the 2014 final for KKR, remain memorable highlights.
Alongside him stands Rashid Khan, who has also tallied 16 ducks in his storied IPL career across 72 innings. Unlike Chawla, the former SRH spinner and current Gujarat Titans star possesses a unique ability to score quick runs at the death. With an IPL fifty to his name and a formidable strike rate of 157.36, Rashid remains a dangerous proposition for bowlers despite his occasional struggles at the crease.
The 18-Duck Threshold: Dinesh Karthik and Sunil Narine
Dinesh Karthik, a true IPL journeyman, tallied 18 ducks during his illustrious 17-season career between 2008 and 2024. Despite this record, he remains one of the most prolific wicketkeeper-batters in the history of the league, aggregating 4,842 runs in 234 innings while representing franchises such as RCB, KKR, and the Mumbai Indians.
Sunil Narine, the KKR icon, also shares this tally of 18 ducks. Having played 201 matches since his debut in 2012, the West Indian all-rounder has batted 126 times. Narine’s impact on the game is defined by his explosive scoring, boasting a strike rate of 165.30, seven fifties, and a century, proving that even those with high duck counts can be match-winners.
The Top of the List: Rohit Sharma and Glenn Maxwell
At the pinnacle of this unwanted list are two of cricket’s most recognizable names: Rohit Sharma and Glenn Maxwell, each with 19 ducks.
Rohit Sharma, one of only two cricketers in IPL history to surpass 7,000 runs, recorded his 19th duck during the 2026 season at the Wankhede Stadium. Despite his legendary status as an opener for the Mumbai Indians and Deccan Chargers, his 276 innings have seen him face the early exit on 19 occasions.
Joining him is Glenn Maxwell, who reached the 19-duck mark in just 135 innings. On average, the Australian hard-hitter records a duck once every seven innings. While Maxwell has recorded 18 half-centuries in his 13-year journey, his career has been defined by extreme peaks and troughs, with 15 of those fifties coming across just three specific seasons (2014, 2021, and 2023), illustrating the volatile nature of his batting style.
Conclusion
While the ‘most ducks’ statistic is certainly an unwanted one, it serves as a reminder that even the greatest players in the world are susceptible to the pressures of the IPL. Whether they are attacking spinners like Chawla or explosive openers like Rohit Sharma, the margin for error in T20 cricket remains razor-thin.
