Top 5 Indian players with most ducks in ODI cricket ft. Virat Kohli

Indian batting stalwart Virat Kohli has registered an unfortunate new career milestone, recording his 18th ODI duck during the second match against Australia in Adelaide. This unwanted statistic comes despite his career-long magnificent average of over 57 in the format. While Kohli’s overall contributions to the Indian team remain monumental, his back-to-back scoreless outings have drawn attention to this rare dip in form, pushing him up the ranks of Indian cricketers with the most ducks in ODI history, a list traditionally topped by bowlers and all-rounders.

Virat Kohli’s recent poor form and unwanted records

Kohli’s recent dismissal for a four-ball duck in the second ODI against Australia in Adelaide has brought an uncharacteristic spotlight onto his form. Bowled by Xavier Bartlett, who was playing his first match of the series, Kohli missed a flick and was given out LBW, marking a rare instance of vulnerability for the prolific batter. This duck was his 18th in One Day Internationals, setting a new, albeit unwanted, record as he now holds the distinction of having the most ODI ducks among all active international cricketers, surpassing the tie he previously held with players like Rohit Sharma and Litton Das.

More significantly, this marks the first time in his entire ODI career that he has been dismissed for a duck in two consecutive innings, a statistic that underscores the current challenge he faces. Before this series, Kohli had never recorded an ODI duck on Australian soil, and this latest failure now equals his previous high of four ducks against a single opponent, putting Australia level with England on that list. Despite this slump, his career ODI average remains a magnificent 57.41 across 304 matches, and he still boasts an unparalleled tally of 51 centuries and 74 half-centuries in the format. His overall count now stands at 40 ducks in international cricket, spread across Tests, ODIs, and T20Is.

Most ducks for India in ODI cricket (Top 5)

Kohli’s 18th ODI duck places him high up in the historical list of Indian players with the most ducks in the 50-over format, moving him from joint-fourth to joint third position. The list of Indian cricketers with the most ODI ducks is traditionally headed by batting legend Sachin Tendulkar, who, having played a record 463 matches, accumulated 20 ducks over his career. The second spot is held by former Indian pacer Javagal Srinath, who registered 19 ducks primarily due to his lower-order batting position.

Kohli is now tied with the trio of Yuvraj Singh and spinner Anil Kumble at 18 ducks each. Before the Adelaide match, Kohli was level with former off-spinner Harbhajan Singh at 17 ducks, whom he has now surpassed. The former Indian captain, Rohit, is now tied for fifth place with all-rounder Sourav Ganguly, with 16 ducks each. While the top three positions are often skewed by the inclusion of lower-order specialists, Kohli’s presence in the top tier highlights a surprising statistic for a pure, world-class top-order batters.

Indian Players with Most Ducks in ODIs