List Of IPL Players With Most Ducks: The Unwanted Record Holders
The Unwanted Side of T20 Glory
The Indian Premier League (IPL) has long been a stage where batting greatness is measured with towering sixes, calculated aggression, and match-winning knocks that leave fans in awe. Amidst the glamour of exquisite stroke-play and record-breaking totals, there exists a darker, more humbling side to the statistics—the dreaded ‘duck.’ A score of zero is every batter’s nightmare, regardless of their reputation or experience level.
While tailenders are often expected to account for a portion of these scoreless outings due to their position in the batting order, the reality of the game is that even the most experienced icons can fall victim to a brilliant delivery or a lapse in concentration. Examining the List Of IPL Players With Most Ducks reveals that being a legend does not exempt a player from experiencing the worst form of dismissal in the game.
The 16-Duck Club: Piyush Chawla and Rashid Khan
Starting at the bottom of this specific hierarchy are two iconic spin bowlers who have contributed significantly to the league’s history. Piyush Chawla, the veteran Indian spinner, has registered 16 ducks in 92 innings across 192 IPL matches. Over a career spanning 16 seasons and four different franchises, Chawla has been a reliable hand, though his batting stats—624 runs at an average of 11.14—reflect his role as a lower-order contributor. Despite his struggles with the bat, his legacy is firmly cemented by his prowess as one of the tournament’s leading wicket-takers.
Alongside him is Rashid Khan, the Afghan superstar. Rashid has also accumulated 16 ducks in 72 innings. However, his profile is vastly different; he is a genuine utility player who possesses a dangerous penchant for scoring rapid runs in the death overs. With a staggering strike rate of 157.36 and an IPL fifty to his name, Rashid’s presence in this list serves as a reminder of the risks taken by aggressive lower-order hitters.
The 18-Duck Threshold: Dinesh Karthik and Sunil Narine
Moving further up the list, we encounter two stalwarts of the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise, though their journeys differ significantly. Dinesh Karthik, a quintessential IPL journeyman, has recorded 18 ducks in his illustrious 17-season career. Playing 257 matches, Karthik cemented himself as one of the most prolific wicketkeeper-batters in league history, aggregating 4,842 runs across various franchises including RCB, Delhi Capitals, and Mumbai Indians. His tally of ducks is perhaps a byproduct of his longevity and the sheer volume of high-pressure finishing roles he occupied.
Sunil Narine, the KKR loyalist, also shares this tally of 18 ducks. Having played 201 matches since 2012, Narine has batted 126 times. Unlike a traditional tailender, Narine has evolved into a top-order dynamo, boasting a strike rate of 165.30 and a career that includes seven fifties and a century. His aggressive approach, often designed to maximize the Powerplay, naturally carries the risk of early dismissals, contributing to his position on this list.
The Peak of the Unwanted List: Rohit Sharma and Glenn Maxwell
At the top of the List Of IPL Players With Most Ducks sit two of the most destructive forces in cricket history, both tied at 19 ducks each. Rohit Sharma, one of only two players in IPL history to surpass 7,000 runs, holds an unwanted record that stands in contrast to his immense batting achievements. He recorded his 19th duck during the 2026 season, facing a quick dismissal against Jofra Archer. Having played for Deccan Chargers and Mumbai Indians, Rohit’s longevity as an opener means he has faced thousands of deliveries, making his high duck count a statistical anomaly in an otherwise glittering career.
Sharing this unfortunate top spot is Australian powerhouse Glenn Maxwell. Known for his unorthodox stroke play and explosive hitting, Maxwell has recorded 19 ducks in just 135 innings. This means that, on average, the all-rounder records a duck roughly every seven innings. While Maxwell has recorded 18 half-centuries in his 13-year journey, his statistics reveal a ‘boom or bust’ nature, with 15 of those fifties coming in only three seasons (2014, 2021, and 2023). This uneven run with the bat highlights the volatile nature of the T20 format, where the fine line between a match-winning cameo and a golden duck is razor-thin.
Conclusion
This List Of IPL Players With Most Ducks is not meant to diminish the legacies of these great cricketers, but rather to highlight the immense difficulty of the T20 format. Even the best batters in the world are susceptible to the pressure of the IPL, where the bowling quality is high and the demands for aggressive scoring are constant. For fans and analysts, these statistics provide a fascinating look at the human side of the sport, proving that even the biggest stars occasionally face a day they would rather forget.
