List Of IPL Players With Most Ducks In Tournament History

The Unwanted Side of IPL Glory

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has long been celebrated as the ultimate theater for batting greatness. It is a stage where legends are minted through towering sixes, elegant stroke-play, and high-pressure run chases. However, for every century scored and every match-winning knock played, there exists the harsh reality of the game: the duck. While fans often focus on the glamour of batting averages and strike rates, the statistics reveal a more humbling side to the careers of even the most celebrated cricketers.

It is a common misconception that scoreless outings are reserved exclusively for tailenders. In truth, many of the most experienced batters with illustrious IPL careers have found themselves accumulating an unwanted tally of zeros. Understanding this statistic provides a more nuanced view of the volatility inherent in T20 cricket. Below, we examine the notable names that appear on the unfortunate list of players with the most ducks in IPL history.

The 16-Duck Club: Piyush Chawla and Rashid Khan

Occupying the lower end of this specific ranking are two spin-bowling legends who have contributed significantly to the league. Piyush Chawla, the veteran Indian spinner, has registered 16 ducks throughout his 92 innings across 192 matches. Chawla’s career, which has spanned 16 seasons and four different franchises, is better remembered for his tactical brilliance and wicket-taking ability. Despite his 624 total runs at an average of 11.14, his tenure is punctuated by those occasional moments where his bat failed to make contact, though his heroic cameo in the 2014 IPL final for KKR remains a career highlight.

Sharing this spot is Rashid Khan, the Afghanistan superstar. While Rashid has also recorded 16 ducks, his context is vastly different. Having batted in 72 innings, he has evolved into a formidable death-overs slogger. With a staggering career strike rate of 157.36 and a well-deserved fifty to his name, Rashid’s aggressive approach often necessitates high-risk cricket, which naturally increases the probability of returning to the pavilion without troubling the scorers.

The 18-Duck Threshold: Dinesh Karthik and Sunil Narine

Dinesh Karthik, a quintessential IPL journeyman, sits on 18 ducks. However, his record must be viewed through the lens of his immense longevity. Playing 257 matches over 17 seasons, Karthik has been a pillar for multiple franchises including RCB, KKR, and Mumbai Indians. His aggregate of 4,842 runs in 234 innings solidifies his status as one of the most prolific wicketkeeper-batters in the history of the league, proving that even a long and successful career is not immune to the occasional lapse in form.

Alongside him is Sunil Narine, the KKR icon. Narine’s 18 ducks have come in 126 innings over his 15-year career. As a player who has donned the roles of top-order pinch-hitter and late-order accelerator, Narine has embraced high-risk cricket since his debut in 2012. With a career strike rate of 165.30, seven half-centuries, and a century to his credit, his aggressive style is a double-edged sword that has yielded both spectacular wins and the occasional early departure.

The 19-Duck Summit: Rohit Sharma and Glenn Maxwell

Topping the list are two of the most recognizable names in T20 cricket. Rohit Sharma, one of only two cricketers in the history of the IPL to cross the 7,000-run milestone, shares the record for the most ducks. Having registered 19 ducks in 276 innings across his time with the Deccan Chargers and Mumbai Indians, his record serves as a reminder that even the most elegant openers are susceptible to the pressures of the first over. His most recent duck, coming against Jofra Archer during the 2026 season, highlighted the unpredictable nature of elite-level bowling.

Glenn Maxwell, the Australian power-hitter, also shares this record, reaching 19 ducks in just 135 innings. On average, Maxwell records a duck roughly once every seven innings. His career, spanning 141 matches and four franchises, has been defined by extreme peaks and valleys. While he has smashed 18 fifties, the vast majority were concentrated in just three seasons (2014, 2021, and 2023), illustrating a pattern of high-variance performance that continues to fascinate cricket analysts and fans alike. This list is not a mark of shame, but rather a reflection of the high-stakes, high-intensity nature of the IPL, where the margin between a match-winning innings and a zero is often just a single delivery.