
Every cricket player hopes to break records at the sport. However, only a small number of players possess the potential to play well enough over an extended period of time to make history. A cricket player would like to see his name on many records, from most runs to most wickets, but there is one notorious record that most players would like not to be a part of since it concerns players with the most ducks in ODI history. For those who don’t know, a “duck” is counted when a player gets called out for zero. Legends of the game have often encountered situations where they did little to frighten the foe.
Let’s focus only on specialist batsmen, even though a select few bowlers have recorded the most ducks.
Ducks | Player | Team | Matches | Innings | Period |
34 | Sanath Jayasuriya | Sri Lanka | 445 | 433 | 1989–2011 |
30 | Shahid Afridi | Pakistan | 398 | 369 | 1996–2015 |
28 | Wasim Akram | Pakistan | 356 | 280 | 1984-2003 |
28 | Mahela Jayawardene | Sri Lanka | 448 | 418 | 1998–2015 |
26 | Lasith Malinga | Sri Lanka | 226 | 119 | 2004-2019 |
The top five ODI batsmen for most ducks are as follows:
5.) Romesh Kaluwitharana
Experienced Sri Lankan batsman Romesh Kaluwitharana is best recognized for his ODI cricket partnership with Sanath Jayasuriya. By implementing new guidelines and limitations in the early 2000s, the pair transformed one-day batting. Romesh, often referred to as “Kalu,” was essential to Sri Lanka’s amazing World Cup victory in 1996. The wicket-keeper batsman scored 3711 runs overall in 189 ODI matches, including two hundreds and 23 fifty-sevens. However, the ascent of Kumar Sangakkara led to his dismissal from the squad. Romesh was out of the game for a duck 24 times in ODI cricket.
4.) Chris Gayle
Chris Gayle is without a doubt one of the finest in every format in which he competes. Gayle’s amazing physique and superb hand-eye coordination allow him to easily manslaughter the balls and send them flying out of the stadium. However, he has periodically experienced issues even signing into his account. The Jamaican batting prodigy has amassed over 10,000 runs for the West Indies team in 301 ODI matches. Gayle has participated in 25 of these several games without even making an attempt to affect the score.
3.) Mahela Jayawardene
You might be surprised to learn that Mahela Jayawardene, one of the best batsmen ever, is third on our list. Without a doubt, Mahela was a technical master. The former captain of Sri Lanka had an outstanding ODI career. During his time playing in 448 ODIs, he scored over 12000 runs, including 19 hundreds and 77 half-centuries. Mahela is third among suitable batsmen for his position but ranks fourth overall in ODI history with 28 ducks.
2.) Shahid Afridi
The record for the quickest ODI hundred was long held by Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi, one of the most intimidating batters of his time. In the end, Corey Anderson of New Zealand outperformed him, and for now, AB de Villiers of South Africa has the record. Due to his damaging slogging skills, Afridi was a real nightmare for bowlers. The powerful hitter, sometimes known as “Boom Boom” in the cricketing world, played 398 ODIs for Pakistan and amassed 8064 runs. In the 50-over format, the native of Khyber Agency registered a duck 30 times.
1.) Sanath Jayasuriya
Another surprising name on the list is Sanath Jayasuriya, one of Sri Lanka’s best batsmen. The dynamic opener established the standard for quick runs when the power play rule was instituted, amassing more than 13,000 runs in ODI cricket. With his inventive strokes and skill in taking the bowlers right away, Jayasuriya has pleased spectators all over the world. The destructive batsman has participated in 445 ODI matches for Sri Lanka, amassing 68 fifties and 28 tons.
Here, we’ve covered the top 5 ODI batsmen in terms of ducks. Every player is listed in a table with specifics. The list includes a variety of the best batsmen. With their talent and unique flair, they have fans all around the world.