Whenever a batter makes their debut in international cricket, they want to announce themselves in style by scoring a big knock.
However, things may not go as planned, and the debutant gets out on a paltry score or, even worse, a duck.
There have been a few instances of batters scoring ducks on their T20I debut for India. Here we’ll look at the list of Indian batters who scored a duck on their T20I debuts.
1. MS Dhoni vs South Africa | Johannesburg, 2006
MS Dhoni became the first batter to score a duck on his T20I debut against South Africa in 2006. This was also India’s first match in the shortest format.
Coming to bat at No. 4 in a run chase of 127 runs, Dhoni returned to the pavilion on the second delivery without scoring a run. He edged an outside off delivery bowled by Charles Langeveldt onto the stumps, putting an end to his debut innings.
Also Read | MS Dhoni’s 7 Remarkable Records in IPL History
2. KL Rahul vs Zimbabwe | Harare, 2016
The second instance came after almost 10 years, when KL Rahul made his T20I debut for India. It was the first match of the three T20I series in Harare.
While chasing a target of 170 runs, KL Rahul got bowled out on the first ball of India’s innings, registering an unwanted golden duck on his T20I debut.
An outside off delivery bowled by Donald Tiripano took an inside edge of Rahul’s bat and landed straight on the off stump. Eventually, India lost the match by 2 runs.
3. Prithvi Shaw vs Sri Lanka | Colombo, 2021
Another Indian opener had an unlucky outing on his T20I debut. Prithvi Shaw was playing his first T20I match against Sri Lanka in 2021.
After put into bat first, Shaw opened India’s innings along with captain Shikhar Dhawan. However, Shaw’s stay was cut short as he nicked Dushmantha Chameera’s outswinger to the keeper.
The right-hander returned to the dugout on the first delivery, scoring a golden duck.
Also Read | What is a Duck in Cricket? And its Different Types
4. Abhishek Sharma vs Zimbabwe | Harare, 2024
Abhishek Sharma became the fourth Indian batter to register a duck on his T20I debut. Also, he became the second Indian after KL Rahul to score a duck on his T20I debut against Zimbabwe.
Abhishek Sharma had a memorable outing in the 2024 IPL, and everyone expected him to start with a bang in the first T20I against Zimbabwe. However, the left-hand opener top-edged the ball, handing out an easy catch and getting out on a 4-ball duck.
But Abhishek made a resounding comeback in the next match, scoring a scintillating hundred off 46 balls.
