What’s the most bizarre thing that can happen in cricket? A batter’s dismissal on the first ball without scoring a single run in an innings.
This phenomenon is known as a ‘Golden Duck’ in cricket, and few players have been unfortunate enough to get out in such a fashion.
The game’s shortest format has also recorded instances of batters getting dismissed on first-ball ducks. This article will list the top 10 players with the most golden ducks in T20I cricket.
Most Golden Ducks in T20Is
| Player | Team | Innings | Golden Ducks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Irakoze | Rwanda | 56 | 8 |
| Martin Akayezu | Rwanda | 79 | 8 |
| Dasun Shanaka | Sri Lanka | 103 | 7 |
| Ehsan Khan | Hong Kong | 52 | 6 |
| Richard Ngarava | Zimbabwe | 31 | 6 |
| Fakhar Zaman | Pakistan | 101 | 6 |
| Shakib Al Hasan | Bangladesh | 126 | 6 |
| Regis Chakabva | Zimbabwe | 49 | 6 |
| Umar Akmal | Pakistan | 79 | 6 |
| Shem Ngoche | Kenya | 65 | 6 |
Key Insights on Unwanted Golden Ducks in T20Is
Records for Most Golden Ducks in T20I History
Kevin Irakoze holds the record for the most golden ducks in T20Is. And he also features among the top 10 players with the most overall T20I ducks.
Australia’s Aaron Finch earned five golden ducks, the most as a captain in T20I cricket.
Regis Chakabva (Zimbabwe), Matthew Cross (Scotland), Manpreet Singh (Singapore), and Kusal Mendis (Sri Lanka) are the four wicketkeepers with four golden ducks each in T20Is.
Thailand’s Chaloemwong Chatphaisan has recorded five golden ducks while opening, the most by an opener in T20Is. (Check which opener has the most ducks in T20Is here.)
More than 30 players have recorded five or more ducks in the shorter format.
Consecutive Golden Ducks in T20Is
Anas Khan (Hong Kong), Colin Smith (Scotland), and Phemelo Silas (Botswana) have all registered three consecutive golden ducks in T20Is.
Most Bizarre T20I Duck Streak
Petero Cabebula of Fiji holds a truly bizarre record: he registered a diamond duck, a golden duck, and a normal duck in three consecutive T20I innings.
His run of ducks included:
A diamond duck (0 off 0) against Vanuatu, where he was run out without facing a ball.
A golden duck (0 off 1) against the Cook Islands, on the last ball of the innings. (This was also a laughing duck, as Cabebula got out on the last ball of Fiji’s innings.)
A 4-ball duck in the next match against Samoa.
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