most ducks in ipl

Top 10 Players With Most Ducks in IPL History (Updated 2026 List) 

A cricket duck is a situation in which a batsman has caught himself for no run, and is one of the most depressing moments for every batsman. But, during competitive games such as the Indian Premier League, even the top elite players occasionally end up with a blowout. As players like to attack as soon as possible, it is not uncommon for matches to be called off early. For this reason, the list of top ducks in IPL is also not incomplete, and here we have the names of some legendary cricketers who score thousands of runs, too.

Curiously, more ducks do not necessarily mean a lesser performance, for in the case of IPL. It is, instead, a measure of longevity, aggressiveness in play, and innings pitched. Sometimes, the players who take risks and play attacking shots turn up to get out early. Consequently, all the top performers make this list. Besides, there are several of them that have helped their team secure championships and set up for the game-winning shots. 

Quick Overview of the Top 10 Players With the Most Ducks in IPL History

Before discussing each player in detail, it is helpful to look at the full list. The table below highlights the players with the most ducks in IPL from 2008 to 2025.

RankPlayerCountrySpanMatchesInningsDucksRunsHighest Score
1Glenn MaxwellAustralia2012–202514113519281995
2Dinesh KarthikIndia2008–202425723418484297*
3Rohit SharmaIndia2008–2025272267187046109*
4Sunil NarineWest Indies2012–2025189122171780109
5Piyush ChawlaIndia2008–2024192921662424*
6Rashid KhanAfghanistan2017–2025136681658579*
7Mandeep SinghIndia2010–20231119815170677*
8Ambati RayuduIndia2010–2023204187144348100*
9Manish PandeyIndia2008–2025174162143942114*
10Harbhajan SinghIndia2008–2021163901383364

This table clearly shows that the most ducks in the IPL list contain both specialist batters and bowlers. The top order batsman will be faced by tough new ball deliveries, while lower order batsmen may be toiling in the death overs. Therefore, both of these increase the opportunity for a duck.

Glenn Maxwell – Player With the Most Ducks in IPL History

Current Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has the record with 19 ducks in the history of IPL. Maxwell has featured for Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, among a number of teams. He is singularly known for his explosive performances on the ball, so he typically goes into the attack from the first shot. His aggressive style sometimes results in his dismissals being early ones.

However, make no mistake about the fact that Maxwell’s inclusion on the most ducks in IPL list does not take away his worth as a player. Indeed, he has run over 2800 runs in the competition and has played match-saving innings. He has an uncanny ability to alleviate pressure in a game and is also a formidable opponent in T20s because of that. Duck is more likely, though, as you would expect, since you’re taking a big risk with your bat.

Dinesh Karthik – Second-Highest Ducks in IPL

Dinesh Karthik is the second wicketkeeper batsman in the IPL who has recorded the most ducks with 18. Karthik did play IPL from its very inception, in 2008, till his retirement in 2024. Throughout this long career, he played for several teams like Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders, Punjab Kings, Mumbai Indians, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Over the years, his duties continually evolved. At first, he was batting single, up front. Later in his career, he had turned into a specialist finisher and had come on in the last over or overs. From time to time, it was challenging for him as he had to be fast all the time. This certainly gave him more chances to get early off on an early dismissal, and that is why he is classified among ‘ducks in the IPL’ list of players.

Rohit Sharma – Legendary Batter With Many Ducks

One of the greatest IPL captains, Rohit Sharma, is also at the top of the list of most duckers in IPL. Mumbai Indians legend completed 18 ducks, which reportedly equaled Dinesh Karthik. But Rohit has also got a high run-scoring record, being one of the IPL’s top run scorers, with over 7000 runs.

In the first phase of the match, Rohit will bat at the opening slot, the most difficult spot for the batter. New ball swings are more that bowlers go potent than bowlers in the Powerplay. This is why a lot of times openers tend to be overlooked. Throughout his career of over 17 seasons, Rohit has endured a few such meltdowns, adding to his stats for most ducks in the IPL list.

Sunil Narine – Explosive Opener With Several Ducks

Sunil Narine is one of the world’s best T20 bowlers. But despite that, Kolkata Knight Riders still depended on him as a blistering opener in numerous IPL seasons. Your approach is very risky because Narine uses the ball from the first ball. Hence, he has brought a total of 17 ducks to his bank and is among the players having the highest number of ducks in the IPL.

This aggressive approach will often generate an outstanding outcome. Occasionally, Narine plays sprints and can flip the game upside down. Other times, he lands on his toes! However, the team still relies upon him as an opener because the upside is a lot there.

Piyush Chawla

Piyush Chawla is an Indian leg-spin bowler with a knack for taking wickets, who has been in the Indian Premier League since the first season. He has also amassed a decent batting average after posting 16 ducks in the IPL with CSK, KKR, KXIP, and MI. His stats tend to be with the ball at No.8 or below, where the situation is more challenging in the death overs. This role was a challenging one to have because of not having many opportunities to score and the danger involved if any. In 92 innings under his belt has 624 runs and a best score of 24*. Although he didn’t perform well at the bat, his ability and presence at the ball helped him to deliver more than 190 deliveries in IPL and become one of the experienced bowlers of the league.

Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan is regarded as one of the finest T20 bowlers of all time. He is known for his deadly leg-spin and control in the IPL for any team he joined, be it SRH or GT. According to his batting numbers, however, he did manage to have 16 ducks in only 68 innings, resulting in one of the highest duck percentages in the IPL. Rashid usually bats in the middle order, meaning that he gets aggressive deliveries in the last over from No.7 to No.9. While he can get to the big shots, as he demonstrated with his all-time unbeaten 79 off 31 balls for SRH in 2020, such things are uncommon. His big spinners are always what make him a valuable player.

Mandeep Singh

Mandeep Singh had a stint with various IPL teams like DC, KKR, KXIP, PBKS, and RCB. As a hitter, he was known as a good bowler at the top of the order, but his career at different clubs tended to be based on some sort of swinger. Sometimes he came in at the top of the order, but at other times he was to run in the middle. He was constantly changing his batting position, which made it hard for him to be consistent. In 98 innings, he hit 15 ducks – an indication of how challenging it was for him to hit a rhythm. Though these hardships have not deterred Mandeep, he grabbed an opportunity to appear in big games and has managed to amass 1,706 runs in the IPL, proving to possess a decent innings-worthiness when offered a secure place in the team.

Ambati Rayudu

Ambati Rayudu was one of the most consistent middle-order batters of the Tamil Nadu IPL, and he contributed significantly for MI and CSK. He played for the team for many years, tallying over 4,300 runs for the side and even a century in his career. His record also has 14 ducks, which isn’t unusual, as he pitched over 180 innings. When there were six wickets down, Rayudu was often at No.3 or No.4, which meant that he would soon be called in at the crease. Early dismissals would occur in these types of situations from time to time when they were facing the new ball. Still, his ability to perform consistently and provide match-winning moments saw him be a key player for several IPL championship-winning teams.

Manish Pandey

In 2009, Manish Pandey made history as the first Indian to hit a century in the league for his contribution to the IPL. He has played for multiple teams, such as DC, KKR, LSG, MI, PWI, RCB, and SRH in his career. It was also Pandey’s hand for KKR’s winning the IPL in 2014 and being named Player of the Match in the final. But his IPL career has had its share of ups and downs. Partly due to his conservative approach at the plate at the beginning of the inning, he was only able to hit 14 ducks in 162 innings. A run-fast-and-daren’t-get-caught-and-a-bow-low approach was sometimes defeated in a fast-paced T20 format, which puts emphasis on attacking the game.

Harbhajan Singh

The legendary talent of Harbhajan Singh, one of India’s finest spinners, graced the IPL for a long time, spanning three teams, namely, MI, CSK, and KKR. He was a bowler in the team, but at times he also bat in the lower order. In 90 innings at the plate, 13 were for ducks, typical of the gamble played by the lower-order batters. That wasn’t enough, though, as Harbhajan was able to score runs when the need arose in a high-pressure game, especially in the IPL, where he scored 64 runs with a strike rate of more than 137. He has also played for several championship-winning teams, like MI in 2013 and 2015, as well as CSK in 2018, in which his bowling skills were vital.

Bowlers with the Most Ducks in IPL List

Incidentally, some of the bowlers are also on the list of “most duck bowlers” in the IPL rankings. Muttiah Malan, Piyush Chawla, Rashid Khan, and Harbhajan Singh have heeled numerous duck cards for the players. But, the most important part of their role in the team is their bowling role instead of batting.

The lower-order hitters tend to be hit the hardest. Most often, they come into play only at the end of the match when bowlers bowl yorkers and slower balls. They play big shots as soon as they get to them, so they often are shot down without a point. In that respect, bowlers take more ducks with them as time goes by.

Why Great Players Appear on the Most Ducks in IPL List

A lot of people think that the more appearances of ducks in the IPL list, the worse they get in their beliefs. The world is far from that, however. In fact, the majority of this list consists of players who have had long successful careers. There are a number of reasons why great players collect ducks.

Longevity is one of the main factors in it. Over the years, as most players have covered more balls in the IPL, naturally, they come to have more chances to score a nil. Secondly, once they begin to bat aggressively, they are more likely to get dismissed. Blocking plays are not encouraged in T20 cricket, but they are more likely to be destined for failure.

Most Ducks in IPL 2026 Season

New records and statistics are created in every IPL season. Some players had more than one duck in the early part of the tournament in the 2026 season. Harmy included some names like Mohsin Khan, Ravi Bishnoi, Tim Seifert, and Axar Patel. Such figures, however, are subject to the usual seasonal variations.

Post-season statistics are not the same as career statistics. Another player might earn lots of headings but then have to maintain that record by shooting a time out of tip. So, a career comparison is the most common yardstick to discuss the most number of ducks in the history of the IPL.

Conclusion

Glenn Maxwell has the video ducks record of 19 ducks. Dinesh Karthik and Rohit Sharma are tying for second place with 18 ducks each. Maybe these are destroying numbers at first glance but they do signify the whims of T20 cricket.

The top list of most ducks by IPL players includes players who are renowned cricketers and are entertaining both the fans and players for years. They have run thousands of runs, won championships, and put on unforgettable performances. All shot types are aggressive and could be dismissed, but for some moments, it will be very enjoyable for the cricket fans. 

FAQs

Q1. Who has the most ducks in IPL history?

Ans. Glenn Maxwell holds the record for the most ducks in IPL with 19 ducks in his career.

Q2. How many ducks does Rohit Sharma have in IPL?

Ans. Rohit Sharma has recorded 18 ducks in IPL matches.

Q3. Which bowler has the most ducks in IPL?

Ans. Rashid Khan and Piyush Chawla are among the bowlers with the highest ducks in IPL history.

Q4. Does having the most ducks in IPL mean a player is unsuccessful?

Ans. No. Many players on the most ducks in IPL list have excellent records and long careers.

Q5. Why do aggressive players appear on the most ducks in the IPL list?

Ans. Attacking batting increases the risk of early dismissal, which sometimes results in a duck.

Read More Cricket News:

At Cricmints, I share latest cricket news, match statistics, player analysis, and trending updates to keep you informed and connected with the game. Whether it’s international matches, leagues, or player records, my goal is to deliver accurate, fast, and easy-to-understand content.