Aggressive stroke play in twenty-over cricket carries an inherent risk of sharp contrasts, where towering hundreds can quickly be followed by dismissals on the very first delivery. India opener Abhishek Sharma experienced this unpredictable nature of the format during the standalone T20 fixture against Japan. Coming off a blistering run of form, the left-handed batsman was sent back without scoring, etching his name into the record books for an unwanted batting milestone.
From a 30-Ball Century to a Golden Duck
Just days earlier on September 17, Abhishek Sharma had thrilled spectators at Delhi with a sensational century off only 30 deliveries against Afghanistan. Expectations were high that he would produce another explosive knock against Japan at the same venue. Opening the batting, he faced the final delivery of the opening over bowled by Charlie Hara-Hinze and fell for a golden duck. That sudden exit ended any hopes of an aggressive start and resulted in a rare statistical milestone.
Reaching 10 Ducks in 2026 to Establish a New World Mark
The dismissal against Japan marked Abhishek Sharma's 10th duck in T20 cricket across the 2026 calendar year. Prior to this match, no batter in the entire history of competitive T20 cricket had ever recorded 10 scoreless innings within a single year. Across 2026, Sharma has featured in 42 matches, accumulating a healthy tally of 1306 runs, but the high-risk approach has also seen him fail to open his account on 10 separate occasions.
Surpassing Rashid Khan's Seven-Year-Old Record
With this 10th dismissal for zero, Abhishek Sharma eclipsed the long-standing record set by Afghanistan all-rounder Rashid Khan. Back in 2019, Rashid was dismissed for a duck nine times across 56 T20 appearances. Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan matched that number in 2024, recording nine ducks in 42 innings. Abhishek now sits alone at the top of this list as the sole player to enter double digits for ducks in a calendar year.
Leading Players With Most Single-Year Ducks in T20 History
The list of players with the highest number of scoreless dismissals in a calendar year features prominent international stars known for their pinch-hitting and lower-order contributions
- Abhishek Sharma (2026): 10 ducks and 1306 runs across 42 matches.
- Rashid Khan (2019): 9 ducks in 56 matches for the Afghan cricketer.
- Shadab Khan (2024): 9 ducks in 42 innings representing Pakistan and various franchises.
- Herschelle Gibbs (2009): 8 ducks in 33 games for the South African top-order batter.
- Sunil Narine (2017): 8 ducks across 64 matches for the West Indian spin-bowling all-rounder.
- Rashid Khan (2021 and 2022): 8 ducks in 53 appearances in 2021, followed by another 8 ducks in 66 fixtures in 2022.
- Alex Hales (2023): 8 ducks across 42 outings for the England opener.
- Richard Ngarava (2024): 8 ducks in 28 matches for the Zimbabwean player.
- Sherfane Rutherford (2025): 8 ducks in 75 matches for the West Indies middle-order hitter.
- Saim Ayub (2025): 8 ducks across 41 games for the young Pakistani batter.
Matching the International T20 Milestone
The statistical slump extends directly into the international arena as well. In 2026, Abhishek Sharma represented India in 27 T20 International (T20I) matches, walking back without scoring in seven of those innings. In the history of men's T20I cricket, no batter has been dismissed for zero more than seven times in a single calendar year.
Sharing the T20I Benchmark With Three Other Batters
Abhishek does not hold the international record outright, but rather shares it with three other international cricketers. Rwanda duo Orchide Tuyisenge and Zappy Bimenyimana, alongside Pakistan batter Saim Ayub, have also recorded seven ducks each in a calendar year while representing their respective national teams. Abhishek's seventh scoreless innings in 2026 brings him level with these three players at the summit of this unwanted international tally.
