Top 5 Indian cricketers with most ducks in international cricket

Two Indian cricketers have been dismissed for a duck over 40 times in international cricket.

In cricket, we often celebrate players who make headlines through their exceptional contributions to the team. From Ben Stokes’ heroics at Headingley to Shamar Joseph’s rampant performance at the Gabba we often come across these folklores narrating the tales of their exemplary performances.

The story of Indian cricket is no different. From time to time batsmen and bowlers alike have carried the Asian giants on their shoulders to script historic wins. But alongside these glorious achievements, there is a rather unspoken and unfortunate side of cricket which follows as well. As we all know sport is a great leveller, and has its share of highs and lows.

While cricketers never want any unwanted record to their name, the unpredictability of the sport is something that has made it so popular and intriguing. One one day you would be at the top of the world with a century, but on the other, you would be in the doldrums with a duck.

On that note let’s take a look at the five Indian cricketers with the most ducks in international cricket.

Top five Indian cricketers with most ducks in international cricket:

5. Anil Kumble – 35

India’s most successful bowler, Anil Kumble, was a magician with the ball. Kumble was instrumental for India in the 90s and early 2000s, spinning a web around the opposition batting units. Known for his legacy in Indian bowling history, ‘Jumbo’ carries the unwanted record of registering the fifth-most ducks while batting for India.

Kumble by no means was a walking wicket. Having a test average of 17.77, Kumble also has a test hundred to his name at The Oval. Across his career, Kumble played a few vital innings and the record of fifth most ducks, while unpleasing, won’t affect his legacy.

4. Harbhajan Singh – 37

Legendary off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was a gritty competitor who never backed down from challenges. ‘Bhajji’ has made some vital lower-order contributions to India with the bat.

His 37 test ducks though are not surprising either given the risky stroke-playing nature of his batsmanship.

Harbhajan averaged 18.22 in test cricket and scored two hundreds, both against New Zealand. One of his remarkable batting performances came against Pakistan in Asia Cup 2010 when he smashed a massive six off Mohammad Amir to help the Indian team conquer their arch-rivals.

3. Virat Kohli – 38

The most surprising name on this list is of modern-day great Virat Kohli. Kohli finds his name among the top highest run scorers for India. Kohli also has smashed the second most century for the Indian cricket team. While he has played countless match-winning knocks for his team, he also has registered a spate of ducks.

His 38 ducks are the perfect example of the highs and lows a batsman goes through. 15 of Kohli’s ducks came in test cricket.

With more than 25,000 international runs and 80 centuries, the few ducks he’s accumulated hardly define his career.

2. Ishant Sharma – 40

The second-most ducks for India have been made by speedster Ishant Sharma. Mostly batting from No. 8-11, Ishant didn’t have the ability to score more than a few runs. Known for his ability to bowl long spells, the workhorse of the Indian bowling lineup was not the most skilled when it came to batting.

With 40 ducks in his career, Ishant faced some tough moments with the bat. With over 300 wickets to his name, though, he stands as one of the most successful Indian pacers to play test cricket.

1. Zaheer Khan – 43

Topping the list with 43 ducks is Zaheer Khan. Zaheer was India’s premier fast bowler for nearly a decade. While Zaheer was decisive for India with the ball, his contributions with the bat were unremarkable.

Mostly batting at number 8 and lower, Zaheer had a batting average of 11.95 with three half-centuries to his name. The most remarkable innings of Zaheer came when he scored 75 against Bangladesh while batting at number 11 in 2004.

The former left-arm seamer snared over 600 wickets for India, marking his legacy among the best bowlers to represent the country.

(All stats updated till 17th October 2024)

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