The circus of T20 cricket is not always associated with slam-bang hitting and graceless slogging. Consistency over a period of time is often rewarded with positive results. Over the course of the evolution of the shortest format of the game, batsmen have learnt to be patient and apply themselves at the crease before swinging the willow. Today, SPORTZWIKI takes a look at those blokes who have missed out early on and failed to get going in out Top 5 batsmen with most ducks in IPL history countdown. We have only included those batsmen who have scored a minimum of 1000 runs across all seven editions of the IPL.
5. 6 ducks (Virender Sehwag, Dinesh Karthik, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Subramaniam Badrinath)
At the 5th position in SPORTZWIKI’s Top 5 batsmen with most ducks in IPL history is a tie among 6 batsmen, each of whom have been consistent performers for their respective franchises over a period of time. Tillakratne Dilshan (1153 runs), Subramanium Badrinath (1441 runs), Virender Sehwag (2225 runs), Dinesh Karthik (1833 runs), Yusuf Pathan (1835 runs) and Suresh Raina (2887 runs) have all been sent back to the hut on a duck on six occasions. These six men have been impact players for their teams, but the weight of expectation and sporadic nature of the shortest format of the game has meant they have often failed to live up to their reputations.
4. 7 ducks (Adam Gilchrist, Manoj Tiwary, Parthiv Patel)
Adam Gilchrist does tend to blow and cold, and with Gilly around, there’s always the chance that he might go berserk and destroy the bowling attack. Gilly’s 2047 runs in the IPL spanning six seasons are a testament to his ability, while Manoj Tiwary (1147 runs) and Parthiv Patel (1321 runs) have been dismissed on a duck on seven occasions as well. Parthiv has been a well-traveled player having represented CSK, Kochi Tuskers Kerala, Deccan Chargers, Sunrisers Hyderabad and now, Royal Challengers Bangalore. Tiwary, on the other hand, is in second stint with Delhi after a 4 year spell with KKR in which he won the IPL in 2012.
3. 8 ducks (Manish Pandey)
Just a heads up! If you’re a KKR fan, look away now! The rest of the countdown won’t go down too well in the by-lanes of Kolkata. Manish Pandey became the first Indian batsmen to score a century in the IPL in 2009, but has failed to live up to the weight of expectation. But are things taking a turn for the good for the KKR top-order batsman? Manish Pandey is 3rd in SPORTZWIKI’s Top 5 batsmen with most ducks in IPL history.
2. 9 ducks (Jacques Kallis)
Jacques Kallis has been the epitome of consistency in the purple of KKR, but the South African stalwart has been dismissed without troubling the scorers on nine occasions in his IPL career, earning him the second spot in SPORTZWIKI’s Top 5 batsmen with most ducks in IPL history. But Kallis’ consistency and his ability to contribute with the ball ensures he remains a vital cog in the KKR set up.
1. 10 ducks (Gautam Gambhir)
Gautam Gambhir has the most 30s and the most 50s in IPL history among all the batsmen, but the unwanted record the KKR skipper would like to do away with is the 10 ducks he has to his name, 3 of which came in the first three matches of the ongoing seventh edition of the IPL. But with 2723 runs in 98 matches at an average of over 30, Gambhir continues to remain KKR’s most influential batsman as the Knights march on in search of a play-off berth in IPL VII.