Hyderabad: What could be the worst nightmare for a batsman? There are plenty of things that could give a batsman nightmare. Getting out on 99 is different ball game altogether but what about carrying the record of the most number of ducks in the shortest format of the game! Indian Premier League (IPL) is better known as batsmen's paradise where they toy with bowlers as per their will.
When your fellow batsmen playing around the wicket if you finish up giving up your wicket for a duck it doesn't look good at all.
In IPL, many batsmen have had to confront such a strange situation when they have been dismissed without troubling the scoreboard.
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Let us take a look at those five players.
Manish Pandey
The Sunrisers Hyderabad batsman's name is at the top of this list. Manish Pandey is a renowned face in IPL fold. He is a star batsman and there is a reason to regard him so. Pandey played a vital innings of 94 off 50-ball in KKR's successful chase in the 2014 IPL final against KXIP.
Notwithstanding, he is a prized scalp for any bowler in the T20 cricket. But, he also holds the record of the most number of ducks among the designated batsmen. The right-hand batsman was dismissed for a duck 12 times in 109 innings.
So far, he scored 2499 runs at an average of 28.07. His highest score in IPL is unbeaten 114.
Parthiv Patel
The diminutive wicketkeeper-batsman is among the cricketers who plied his trade in IPL for more than five franchises. The southpaw played for six franchises in his 11-year-old IPL career.
The RCB batsman is known for his solid stroke-making in the shortest format of the game. However, he finds himself at the second place on the list of players with the most number of ducks in IPL history. The 32-year-old scored 12 ducks in 123 innings.
The 34-year-old has a decent record in the IPL amassing 2457 runs at an average of 22.09.
Gautam Gambhir
The next name in the list is former KKR skipper Gautam Gambhir, one of the big names of IPL who led the Kolkata franchise to two IPL title triumphs.
As a batsman, we all know how good he was. In 152 innings, he scored 4217 runs at an average of 31. As an opener, he was bowlers' nightmare. But, the worst thing the 37-year-old suffered in his IPL career was his inability to get going from the very onset of the innings. In IPL 2014, Gambhir was removed for three consecutive ducks in first three games before he retorted in following matches.
Gambhir sits at the third position in the list of batsmen with the most number of ducks. On 12 occasions he was dismissed for nought.
Rohit Sharma
The next name may surprise you. It is none other than Rohit Sharma, the hit-man of Team India. The Mumbai Indians skipper is a consistent performer in IPL. But, he is one of those designated batsmen who had to cope with ducks in IPL.
The four-time IPL champion has also had to face the nightmare of ducks. In 168 innings, he was dismissed for 12 ducks. However, one can hardly remember the fact as his IPL career is ushered with many achievements. Rohit is one of those part-time bowlers who took a hat-trick that changed the complexion of a match for now-defunct Deccan Chargers in 2009.
The right-hand batsman also has an enviable batting record in the cash-rich league. In 168 innings, he scored 4493 runs at a sound average of 31.86.
Ajinkya Rahane
Rajasthan Royals skipper Ajinkya Rahane is one of the most consistent batsmen in IPL history. He gets an ability to score important runs for his team in every season. In 119 innings, he scored 3427 runs at an astonishing average of 32.95. The orthodox batsman has also bagged a hundred in the IPL. His highest score is unbeaten 103.
However, he also had to face the humiliation of getting out on a duck for 10 times. Being such a technically sound batsman his dismissal for ducks surprised many.