Glenn Maxwell and Rohit Sharma share the unwanted record for the most ducks in IPL history, with 19 dismissals for zero each as of the end of IPL 2026.Sunil Narine and Dinesh Karthik follow with 18 ducks apiece. Rohit reached the joint record after being dismissed for zero against Rajasthan Royals on May 25, 2026.
The list includes some of the tournament most successful batters and experienced all-rounders.It shows how difficult T20 batting can be, even for players who have scored thousands of runs. An aggressive approach, a challenging delivery or an early mistake can result in a duck.
This article covers the top 10 players with the most ducks in IPL history, the record for most ducks in a single season, golden ducks, and the leading records among Indian and overseas players.
Top 10 Players With the Most Ducks in IPL History
The following table presents the leading players in the all-time IPL duck records, using career totals through the 2026 season.
| Rank | Player | Total Ducks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glenn Maxwell | 19 |
| 1 | Rohit Sharma | 19 |
| 3 | Sunil Narine | 18 |
| 3 | Dinesh Karthik | 18 |
| 5 | Piyush Chawla | 16 |
| 5 | Rashid Khan | 16 |
| 7 | Mandeep Singh | 15 |
| 7 | Ajinkya Rahane | 15 |
| 9 | Ambati Rayudu | 14 |
| 9 | Manish Pandey | 14 |
Glenn Maxwell and Rohit Sharma occupy the top position with 19 ducks each. Maxwell has built his IPL career around attacking batting, while Rohit has combined an aggressive style with long-term consistency and a substantial run-scoring record.
Sunil Narine and Dinesh Karthik are next with 18 ducks. Narine has often batted in attacking roles for Kolkata Knight Riders,while Karthik has played for several franchises and frequently operated in the middle order.
Piyush Chawla and Rashid Khan have 16 ducks each. Their appearances on this list also highlight an important distinction: players who regularly bat lower down the order have fewer opportunities to build substantial innings, particularly when they enter under pressure.
Mandeep Singh and Ajinkya Rahane follow with 15 ducks each, while Ambati Rayudu and Manish Pandey have 14 apiece.
Who Has the Most Ducks in IPL History?
Glenn Maxwell and Rohit Sharma jointly hold the record, with 19 ducks each. Rohit equalled Maxwell’s total during the 2026 tournament.
Before Rohit dismissal against Rajasthan Royals, Maxwell held the outright record with 19 ducks. The two players now occupy the top spot in the career rankings. Dinesh Karthik and Sunil Narine are just one duck behind them, with 18 each. citeturn612203view0
A duck does not necessarily indicate poor overall performance. Rohit has scored thousands of IPL runs, while Maxwell has produced numerous fast-scoring innings throughout his career. Their duck totals reflect repeated participation over many seasons as well as the risks associated with their batting roles.
For readers interested in the other side of these batting records, our guides to most fifties in IPL and highest batting averages in IPL cover achievements that measure consistency and scoring success.
Most Ducks by an Indian Player in IPL
Rohit Sharma holds the leading position among Indian players, with 19 IPL ducks. His total is also the joint-highest overall.
Several other Indian batters appear near the top of the all-time table:
| Indian Player | IPL Ducks |
|---|---|
| Rohit Sharma | 19 |
| Dinesh Karthik | 18 |
| Piyush Chawla | 16 |
| Mandeep Singh | 15 |
| Ajinkya Rahane | 15 |
| Ambati Rayudu | 14 |
| Manish Pandey | 14 |
These figures illustrate why a duck count should be considered alongside matches, innings, runs and batting position. A player who has batted hundreds of times has more opportunities to be dismissed for zero than someone with a much shorter IPL career.
Rohit overall scoring record is a good example of this distinction: his high duck total exists alongside a long career of run-scoring achievements.
Most Ducks by an Overseas Player in IPL
Glenn Maxwell leads the overseas-player standings with 19 ducks, level with India Rohit Sharma. Sunil Narine follows with 18, while Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan has recorded 16.
| Overseas Player | Nationality | IPL Ducks |
|---|---|---|
| Glenn Maxwell | Australia | 19 |
| Sunil Narine | West Indies | 18 |
| Rashid Khan | Afghanistan | 16 |
Maxwell is known for attacking batting and the ability to score quickly. Such a role can involve greater risk, particularly when a batter looks to attack from the beginning of an innings.
Narine has also frequently been used as an aggressive batting option. Rashid, meanwhile, is primarily recognised for his bowling, so his batting opportunities and position in the order differ from those of specialist top-order batters.
The overseas-player rankings demonstrate that the most ducks in IPL history are not limited to one nationality or batting style.
Most Golden Ducks in IPL History
A golden duck occurs when a batter is dismissed for zero on the first ball they face. It is one of the most immediate ways an innings can end.
A ball-by-ball statistical compilation from CricketTaken lists Rashid Khan with 12 golden ducks, followed by Glenn Maxwell and Sunil Narine with 10 each. These figures come from that database’s golden-duck breakdown; they should be treated as source-specific rather than assumed to be a universally published official ranking.
| Player | Golden Ducks |
|---|---|
| Rashid Khan | 12 |
| Glenn Maxwell | 10 |
| Sunil Narine | 10 |
Golden ducks are a subset of all ducks. For example, a batter dismissed for zero after facing several deliveries records a duck, but not a golden duck.
The distinction matters because a golden duck records both the score and the speed of the dismissal. It can result from an excellent delivery, a mistimed attacking shot or a mistake while trying to settle into the innings.
Most Ducks in a Single IPL Season
The record for the most ducks in one IPL season belongs to Jos Buttler, who recorded five ducks in 2023. He surpassed the previous benchmark of four ducks in a season.
Several players had previously recorded four ducks in one edition.
| Player | IPL Season | Ducks |
|---|---|---|
| Jos Buttler | 2023 | 5 |
| Herschelle Gibbs | 2009 | 4 |
| Mithun Manhas | 2011 | 4 |
| Manish Pandey | 2012 | 4 |
| Shikhar Dhawan | 2020 | 4 |
Buttler record is particularly interesting because he had already established himself as a successful attacking batter. His 2023 season demonstrates that even an experienced player can experience repeated early dismissals over a short period.
Herschelle Gibbs, Mithun Manhas, Manish Pandey and Shikhar Dhawan reached four ducks in their respective seasons. Their records remain important historical benchmarks, although Buttler moved ahead of that group in 2023.
Which Players Had the Most Ducks in IPL 2026?
The season-only record is different from the all-time career record. In IPL 2026, Ayush Badoni of Lucknow Super Giants and Abhishek Sharma of Sunrisers Hyderabad finished among the leading players with three ducks each. Ravi Bishnoi recorded two.
| Rank | Player | IPL Team (2026) | Ducks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ayush Badoni | Lucknow Super Giants | 3 |
| 1 | Abhishek Sharma | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 3 |
| 3 | Ravi Bishnoi | Rajasthan Royals | 2 |
| 3 | Mohsin Khan | Lucknow Super Giants | 2 |
| 3 | Tim Seifert | Kolkata Knight Riders | 2 |
These totals apply only to the 2026 season. They should not be confused with the career records held by Maxwell and Rohit.
Most Ducks by an Opener in IPL History
Rohit Sharma is one of the leading names when examining ducks among established IPL opening batters, with 19 career ducks. His long career at the top of the order has included both substantial scores and early dismissals.
Opening batters face the new ball, and their first few deliveries can be difficult when the pitch offers movement or the opposition’s fast bowlers find the right line and length. At the same time, modern T20 opening roles often encourage batters to attack early.
However, a definitive opener-only ranking requires statistics filtered by batting position. A player career duck total includes dismissals in every batting position, so it should not automatically be treated as an opener-specific record.
| Rank | Player | Total IPL Ducks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rohit Sharma | 19 |
| 2 | Ajinkya Rahane | 15 |
| 2 | Mandeep Singh | 15 |
| 4 | Parthiv Patel | 13 |
| 5 | Virat Kohli | 12 |
Most Ducks by a Captain in IPL History
Rohit Sharma is an important name in this discussion because he has 19 career IPL ducks and has captained Mumbai Indians. However, his career total includes innings played both as captain and as a non-captain.
A captain-only record needs to count just the innings in which each player was leading the side. The standard career duck rankings do not provide that breakdown, so a definitive captain-only leader cannot be established from the totals in the main table.
| Rank | Captain | Ducks as Captain |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rohit Sharma | 11 |
| 2 | Gautam Gambhir | 10 |
| 3 | Adam Gilchrist | 7 |
| 3 | Shane Warne | 7 |
| 5 | Virat Kohli | 6 |
Most Ducks by a Wicketkeeper in IPL
Dinesh Karthik has recorded 18 IPL ducks, placing him among the leading names in the all-time standings. His career as a wicketkeeper-batter included appearances for multiple franchises and a range of batting positions.
His record also illustrates why specialist roles matter when comparing duck totals. A wicketkeeper who regularly bats in the middle order may face different match situations from an opening batter.
The most useful comparison considers total ducks alongside innings played, runs scored and the role assigned to the player by the team.
| Rank | Wicketkeeper | Total IPL Ducks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dinesh Karthik | 18 |
| 2 | Parthiv Patel | 13 |
| 3 | Sanju Samson | 12 |
| 4 | Ishan Kishan | 11 |
| 5 | Robin Uthappa | 8 |
| 5 | Naman Ojha | 8 |
Most Ducks in IPL by Team
The all-time duck record is an individual batting statistic rather than a fixed franchise record. Several of the leading players have represented more than one IPL team during their careers.
For example, Maxwell has played for multiple franchises, whereas Narine has been strongly associated with Kolkata Knight Riders. A player career total should not be attributed entirely to the franchise they currently represent or represented most recently.
A reliable team-level comparison would need a separate calculation that assigns every duck to the franchise for which it occurred. Without that split, the individual leaderboard is the clearer and more consistent measure.
How Ducks Are Counted in IPL Batting Records
A duck is recorded when a batter is dismissed without scoring a run. It does not matter whether the batter is a specialist batter, an all-rounder, a wicketkeeper or a bowler.
There are two main distinctions to understand:
- Duck: A batter is dismissed for zero, regardless of how many balls they faced.
- Golden duck: A batter is dismissed for zero on the first ball they face.
A duck is not the same as a low score of one, two or three runs. Similarly, a batter who finishes an innings not out on zero has not been dismissed for a duck in the usual batting-record sense.
When comparing records, make sure the figures refer to the same competition and statistical definition. IPL career ducks, ducks in international T20 cricket and ducks across all T20 competitions are separate totals and should not be combined without a clearly defined scope.
Career context is also important. Long-serving players naturally accumulate more innings, which creates more opportunities for ducks. Profiles such as our Sachin Tendulkar biography and Rahul Dravid biography offer further context on how players’ roles and careers can differ across formats and stages of their careers.
Conclusion
The most ducks in IPL history record is jointly held by Glenn Maxwell and Rohit Sharma, with 19 each. Sunil Narine and Dinesh Karthik follow with 18, while Piyush Chawla and Rashid Khan have 16 apiece.
Jos Buttler holds the single-season record with five ducks in 2023, while Rashid Khan leads the golden-duck figures in one ball-by-ball compilation. These records show that early dismissals can affect even experienced players, but a duck count alone does not define a batter’s overall career or contribution to the IPL.
For an accurate comparison, career ducks should always be considered alongside innings played, runs scored, batting role and the period covered by the statistics.
FAQ
1. Who has the most ducks in IPL history?
Glenn Maxwell and Rohit Sharma jointly hold the record, with 19 ducks each as of the end of IPL 2026.
2. What does a duck mean in IPL cricket?
A duck means a batter is dismissed without scoring any runs. The dismissal can happen on the first ball faced or after several deliveries.
3. What is a golden duck in IPL?
A golden duck occurs when a batter is dismissed for zero on the first ball they face. It is a specific type of duck.
4. Who has the most golden ducks in IPL history?
A ball-by-ball statistical compilation lists Rashid Khan with 12 golden ducks, followed by Glenn Maxwell and Sunil Narine with 10 each. This ranking is specific to that database’s figures.
5. Who has the most ducks in a single IPL season?
Jos Buttler holds the single-season record with five ducks for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2023. The previous benchmark was four ducks in a season.
6. How are ducks counted in IPL batting records?
A duck is counted when a batter is dismissed for zero in an IPL innings. A golden duck is counted when that dismissal occurs on the first ball faced. IPL statistics are separate from domestic and international T20 records.
