In cricket's great arena of spectacle and skill, a record there is that no batsman ever wants to own: the woeful duck. The Indian Premier League—cricket's most glitzy stage—has seen epic batting masterpieces over the years, but not as memorable are those moments when world-class batsmen walk back to the pavilion for nil without disturbing the scorers. While sixes and centuries grab all the headlines, ducks narrate their own engrossing tale of cricket's cruel nature. Glenn Maxwell and Dinesh Karthik stand joint unhappy records on 18 ducks, not far behind them is Rohit Sharma with 17. Here, cricket's strange paradox unfolds—how cricket's biggest run-scorers can all be prominent entries at the same time on lists of batting disappointments. This piece explores the intriguing numbers behind Most Ducks in IPL History how those brief failures are weighed against otherwise illustrious careers, and what such figures suggest about the high-risk, high-reward batting culture in T20 cricket. Who Holds the Record for Most Ducks in IPL History? Player Span Mat Inns NO Runs Ave BF SR 100 50 0 Glenn Maxwell (DC/KXIP/MI/RCB) 2012-2024 134 129 17 2771 24.74 1768 156.73 - 18 18 Dinesh Karthik (DC/GL/KKR/KXIP/MI/RCB) 2008-2024 257 234 50 4842 26.31 3577 135.36 - 22 18 Rohit Sharma (DCH/MI) 2008-2024 257 252 29 6628 29.72 5054 131.14 2 43 17 Piyush Chawla (CSK/KKR/KXIP/MI) 2008-2024 192 92 36 624 11.14 563 110.83 - - 16 Sunil Narine (KKR) 2012-2024 177 110 20 1534 17.04 925 165.83 1 7 16 Rashid Khan (GT/SRH) 2017-2024 121 60 23 545 14.72 337 161.72 - 1 15 Mandeep Singh (DC/KKR/KXIP/PBKS/RCB) 2010-2023 111 98 16 1706 20.80 1388 122.91 - 6 15 Manish Pandey (DC/KKR/LSG/MI/PWI/RCB/SRH) 2008-2024 171 159 27 3850 29.16 3179 121.10 1 22 14 Ambati Rayudu (CSK/MI) 2010-2023 204 187 33 4348 28.23 3409 127.54 1 22 14 Harbhajan Singh (CSK/KKR/MI) 2008-2021 163 90 37 833 15.71 604 137.91 - 1 13 Player Profiles for Most Ducks in IPL History Glenn Maxwell Image Source : Getty Images The Australian talisman shares the unwanted record with 18 ducks across different franchises. Maxwell's aggressive batting approach—characterized by reverse sweeps, switches, and fearless innovation—accounts for his regular appearances on both six-hitting and duck leaderboards. His strike rate of 156.73 (highest among most ducks) indicates his team-first approach, frequently giving away his wicket trying to push the scoring rate. In spite of having played just 129 innings (fewer than a number of others on this list), "The Big Show" has recorded most zeroes and is thereby one of IPL's most infuriating and fun batsmen with 160 sixes equilibrating his regular failures. Also Read | The 3 Teams With the Best Spin Attack in IPL 2025 Dinesh Karthik Image Source : BCCI Veteran wicketkeeper-batsman is jointly at the top with 18 ducks spread over a career of all IPL seasons and six franchises. Karthik's 4842 runs at a 26.31 average reflect his consistency in the face of these failures. Having to bat frequently in hard middle-order slots where runs are needed quickly, his duck rate is indicative of the challenging task he's taken on. DK's resilience after failures—indicated through 22 half-centuries and 466 boundaries—reflects great mental strength, making him among IPL's most resilient performers in spite of his leading position on this undesirable leaderboard. Rohit Sharma Image Source : BCCI The "Hitman" ranks third on 17 ducks even though he is one of IPL's all-time greats. As the talismanic captain of Mumbai Indians who led them to five IPL crowns, Rohit's aggressive top-order game carries with it an element of danger. His 6628 runs (most among players in this list) at a strike rate of 131.14 reflect how his failures, when they do come, are well outbalanced by match-winning efforts. Rohit's vulnerability at the top of innings, especially against bowling that swings, has added to this figure, but his approach to batting—focusing on taking control from ball one—has served both team and personal cause well. Piyush Chawla Image Source : BCCI The leg-spinner has scored 16 ducks in comparatively few innings (92), equating to a duck percentage for him on this list of 17.4%. A bowler in the main, Chawla's batting effort has been sparse, with a mere 624 runs at a rate of 11.14 throughout his IPL career. His inclusion here demonstrates his lower-order batting role wherein high-risk hitting is frequently necessitated towards the end. In spite of these batting miseries, Chawla's greatest asset has always been his clever leg-spin bowling, his wicket-taking prowess making him a prized commodity for several franchises throughout his extensive IPL career. Sunil Narine Image Source : BCCI Kolkata Knight Riders' bowling all-rounder became a dynamic pinch-hitting opener halfway through his career, accumulating 16 ducks in the process. Narine's percentage of ducks (14.5% of games) is high, a result of his high-risk brief to extract maximum powerplay overs. His technical constraints against quality pace have been worked over and again, but his 109 best score and astonishing strike rate of 165.83 (joint highest on this list) suggest his potential in getting it together at the point of attack perfectly. Even at these batting lapses, Narine's established role as KKR's enigma spinner translates to these ducks not often making his contribution material. Rashid Khan Image Source : Getty Images The Afghan leg-spinning wonder has tallied 15 ducks, primarily batting in lower-middle-order slots where high-risk batting is anticipated. Despite being primarily a bowler, Rashid’s duck count reflects his role as a boundary-hunting finisher in the death overs. His impressive strike rate of 161.72 demonstrates his effectiveness when he does connect, with his audacious bat swing producing some memorable cameos. Rashid’s batting failures are easily forgiven considering his primary contribution as perhaps IPL’s most economical bowler, making his duck collection a mere footnote in an outstanding career. Mandeep Singh Image Source : AFP The prolific Indian batsman has made 15 ducks playing for five different franchises, which indicate the difficulties of constantly having to switch batting positions and team strategies. Mandeep's 1706 runs at a decent average of 20.80 show his potential in spite of these failures. His frequent changes of position while being used as a floater in batting lineups added to his inconsistency. Apart from these failures, Mandeep's survival in the tournament and several team picks suggest that he is an asset to the team as a team player who is ready to take on tricky batting tasks irrespective of individual statistics. Manish Pandey Image Source : Associated Press The refined middle-order batsman has averaged 14 ducks even though he is among IPL's most technically adept players. Pandey's strike rate of 121.10 is the lowest among leaders of the top duck gatherers, reflecting a more cautious approach compared to others on this list. His 3850 runs with a single century indicate his potential when settled. Being the first Indian to hit an IPL century, Pandey's career has included great highs and exasperating inconsistency. His duck tally mirrors the pressure of middle-order spot where building the rate against quality death bowling often results in being out. Ambati Rayudu Image Source : BCCI The technically capable middle-order player accumulated 14 ducks though being one of the most consistent performers in IPL. Rayudu's 4348 runs at a batting average of 28.23 demonstrate how such failures were the exception and not the norm. His duck rate of 7.5% is actually the lowest among such players, indicative of his general consistency. A mostly Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings player, Rayudu's failures were frequently a result of trying to pick up the pace in the middle overs. His solitary IPL century, 22 half-centuries, and 173 sixes reflect his actual batting quality above these zeroes. Harbhajan Singh Image Source : BCCI The veteran off-spinner completes the top 10 with 13 ducks, mostly batting in lower-order roles in his long IPL career. Harbhajan's duck tally came across 90 innings, which provided him with a high failure rate of 14.4%. In spite of these batting shortcomings, his first and foremost function as a frontline spinner for several championship-winning teams set his IPL legacy. A sporadic ability to contribute useful cameos, a highest score of 64 included, Harbhajan's batting was always regarded as a bonus and not an expectation, and thus his inclusion on this list was of little consequence to his overall IPL contribution. Also Read | Top 10 Highest Powerplay Scores in IPL History Conclusion The paradoxical nature of T20 cricket is perfectly encapsulated by this list of IPL’s most frequent duck collectors. That elite batsmen like Maxwell, Karthik and Sharma top this unwanted leaderboard alongside their numerous batting records illustrates cricket’s fundamental unpredictability. What emerges from analyzing these statistics is not a story of failure, but rather one of risk-taking—the necessary gambling with wickets that modern T20 batting philosophies demand. The presence of multiple IPL-winning captains and franchise icons on this list reinforces how even the greatest players cannot escape cricket’s humbling moments. Perhaps most telling is how duck statistics correlate with aggression—nearly all players featured boast strike rates exceeding 130, confirming the axiom that to soar in T20 cricket, one must accept occasional crash landings. As IPL progresses and batting strategies become more and more fearless, these duck records will be broken, not by worse batsmen, but by players who are willing to take risks and challenge the limits of batting potential. The moral? In T20's risk-reward matrix, occasional zeros are merely the cost of spectacular success.