List Of IPL Players With Most Ducks: The Unwanted Record Holders

The Double-Edged Sword of IPL Cricket

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has long been a stage where batting greatness is measured with towering sixes and match-winning knocks. Fans often flock to the stadiums to see their heroes clear the ropes, yet behind the glamour of exquisite stroke-play lies a darker, more humbling reality. Every batter, regardless of their status, eventually faces the indignity of the duck—a dismissal without scoring a single run.

While tailenders are often expected to account for the majority of scoreless outings due to their lower batting order position, even experienced batters with lengthy, storied IPL careers can find themselves accumulating an unwanted tally. Understanding this List Of IPL Players With Most Ducks provides a unique perspective on the volatile nature of T20 cricket, where the pressure to score quickly often leads to high-risk shots that result in early departures.

The 16-Duck Club: Chawla and Khan

Starting our list, we find two of the most crafty spinners to have ever graced the tournament. Piyush Chawla, the veteran Indian spinner, has registered 16 ducks in 92 innings across 192 matches. Over a 16-season career playing for four different franchises, Chawla has been a reliable hand with the ball, though his 624 runs at an average of 11.14 reflect his role as a lower-order contributor. Despite the ducks, his legacy is cemented by his vital contributions in high-pressure games, including his memorable cameo in the 2014 IPL final for KKR.

Alongside him sits the enigmatic Rashid Khan. The Gujarat Titans superstar has also tallied 16 ducks, though his context is vastly different. Unlike a traditional tailender, Rashid is a genuine all-rounder with an aggressive mindset. He maintains a staggering strike rate of 157.36 and has even registered a half-century, proving that his ducks are often the byproduct of his aggressive ‘see-ball, hit-ball’ approach during the death overs.

The 18-Duck Stalwarts: Karthik and Narine

Moving up the list, we encounter two icons associated heavily with the Kolkata Knight Riders. Dinesh Karthik, a veteran of 17 seasons, accumulated 18 ducks across his massive 257-match career. Karthik’s presence on this list is a testament to his longevity; having played for various franchises including RCB, Delhi Capitals, and Mumbai Indians, he has aggregated nearly 5,000 runs. His volume of matches naturally exposes him to more opportunities for failure, yet he remains one of the most prolific wicketkeeper-batters in the history of the league.

Sunil Narine, a KKR legend, matches Karthik with 18 ducks. However, Narine’s approach is defined by volatility. Operating either as a pinch-hitting opener or a late-innings slogger, his strike rate of 165.30 is among the best in the tournament. With seven fifties and a century to his name, Narine’s ducks are simply the tax he pays for his ultra-aggressive style of play.

The 19-Duck Leaders: Rohit Sharma and Glenn Maxwell

Topping this unwanted list are two of the most celebrated names in modern cricket, both sitting at 19 ducks each. Rohit Sharma, one of only two cricketers in IPL history to surpass 7,000 runs, shares this record. His 19th duck came during the IPL 2026 season against Jofra Archer, a rare failure in an otherwise illustrious career spanning 276 innings. For a player of his caliber, the statistic highlights the inherent instability of the opening slot, where a single quality delivery can end a match before it truly begins.

Sharing the top spot is Australian powerhouse Glenn Maxwell. With 19 ducks in just 135 innings, Maxwell encounters a scoreless outing roughly once every seven innings. His career is a classic case of ‘feast or famine.’ While he has struck 18 half-centuries, a significant portion of those came in specific, dominant seasons. His high frequency of ducks underscores his role as a high-risk, high-reward middle-order batter who never compromises on his attacking intent, regardless of the match situation. This list serves as a reminder that in the high-octane world of the IPL, the line between a match-winning innings and a duck is razor-thin.