Most Golden ducks in ODIs: Subcontinental bowlers feature heavily in top 10

Being dismissed for a duck without scoring a run is the stuff of nightmares for batters in cricket. However, getting out on the first ball you face without disturbing the scorers for a golden duck is even more difficult to endure.

A duck in cricket refers to when a batter gets dismissed by the bowler without scoring a single run in their inning. A golden duck in turn takes place when a batter is dismissed off the very first ball of their innings without troubling the scorers.

No player wants to hold the record for most golden ducks in ODIs. However, former Sri Lanka speedster Lasith Malinga holds the record for most golden ducks in ODIs. He was dismissed for 13 golden ducks while representing the Lankans in ODIs and has 26 ducks overall in the format.

That said, Malinga can still take solace in the fact that he was never dismissed for multiple ducks in a row. For certain other players, there’s no hiding from the ignominy that comes from suffering with consecutive ducks in ODI cricket.

As many as 14 players have endured the unwanted experience of recording three consecutive ducks in ODIs.

The first Indian player to succumb to three consecutive ducks in ODI cricket was Suryakumar Yadav, who couldn’t make it beyond the first ball in each of his three innings against Australia during a three-match ODI series with the Men in Blue in March 2023.

As a result of Suryakumar’s underwhelming run of form with the bat in ODIs for India, he became the first player to record three consecutive golden ducks in an ODI series.

While other players have suffered the same faith of recording three ducks - not consecutive - in an ODI bilateral series just like Suryakumar, none of those individuals did so in a three-match series.

A total of 14 batters have now been dismissed for a duck in three consecutive ODI innings. These players are Alec Stewart, Andrew Symonds, Shane Watson, Tony Blain, Ian Blackwell, Nicholas de Groot, Vusi Sibanda, Tinashe Panyangara, Brett Lee, James Ngoche, Devendra Bishoo, Alex Cusac, Blessing Muzarabani, and Suryakumar Yadav.

Suryakumar, though, is still not the Indian player with the most golden ducks in ODIs. That dubious distinction goes to former bowler Javagal Srinath, who was dismissed for eight golden ducks over the course of his 50-over career. He was dismissed for 19 ducks overall in ODIs.

None of the players who feature among those who recorded a duck in three consecutive ODI innings are in the top 10 for most golden ducks in ODIs. Unsurprisingly, the majority of the players in this top 10 are bowlers.

Most Golden Ducks in ODIs

Photo Credit: Alamy