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MAIN / Cricket / Golden Duck in Cricket—Types, Rankings, & More

“Duck” is a common term in cricket. Everyone who follows the sport knows about it. But do you know “what is a golden duck in cricket?” What about a platinum duck or a titanium duck? Hey, don’t laugh, these are not made-up words. In fact, there are several other types of ducks as well. Today, we will take a look at all of them. Plus, we will share some golden duck statistics in cricket that every fan should know about. Stay tuned!

Golden Duck Meaning in Cricket

A golden duck in cricket means that the batter gets out on the very first ball they face without scoring any runs. The mode of dismissal does not matter. He or she can be bowled, caught, LBW, stumped, or even run out. The only condition is that the batter is out on ball number one. Plus, the score must remain zero.

Fun Fact: If the batter faces the first ball, hits it, scores one run, and then gets out while trying to take the second run, this will not be called a golden duck. This is because the batter has already scored a run.

Types of Ducks in Cricket

There are several types of ducks in cricket. We have compiled a list of all of them. Check the table below:

Type of Duck

When It Happens

Duck

Out for 0

Golden Duck

Out on 1st ball faced

Silver Duck

Out on the 2nd ball faced

Bronze Duck

Out on the 3rd ball faced

Platinum Duck/Royal Duck

Out on 1st ball of an innings
Diamond Duck

Out without facing a ball

Titanium Duck

1st ball out in a big match/tournament (informal)

Pair/Twin Duck

Out for 0 in both innings of Test/Duck in both innings

King Pair/Golden Pair

Out 1st ball in both innings of Test/Golden duck in both innings

Queen Pair

Out 2nd ball in both innings (rare)

Meaning of Golden Duck in Cricket Vs. Normal Duck 

Normal Duck

Golden Duck

When a batsman gets out without scoring any runs.

When a batsman gets out for zero runs on the very first ball they face.

Can face any number of balls (1 ball, 5 balls, 20 balls, etc.).

Can’t face more than 1 ball.

Any kind of dismissal (bowled, caught, LBW, run-out, etc.).

Any kind of dismissal, but only on the first ball.

Very common in cricket.

Less common than a normal duck.

Called “duck” because 0 looks like a duck’s egg.

Called “golden” to show it is a rarer type of duck.

Golden Duck Statistics in Cricket

The golden duck record in cricket is something that no cricketer ever wants to have. But cricket is a tough game. Even the greats of the game have made mistakes or faced unplayable deliveries. So, almost every top cricketer has at least one golden duck in their career. But who has the most? Let us take a look. Time to unveil the most golden duck in cricket batsman.

Most Golden Duck in Test Cricket

What is golden duck in test cricket? It means a batter is out for zero runs on the first ball that he faces (in either innings). Here is the list of the most golden duck in test cricket:

Player

Country Matches Innings Golden Ducks

Muttiah Muralitharan

Sri Lanka 133 164

14

Rangana Herath

Sri Lanka 93 144

11

Courtney Walsh

West Indies 132 185

10

Stuart Broad

England 167 243

10

Steve Harmison

England 63 86

9

Bob Holland, Ajit Agarkar, & Mohammad Asif hold the record for the most continuous golden duck in cricket (test). Each has five ducks in a row.

Did You Know? The number of Virat Kohli golden duck in test cricket is 5. The great Sachin Tendulkar has 2.

Most Golden Duck in Cricket ODI

Check out the list of the top 5 most time golden duck in cricket ODIs:

Player 

Country Matches Innings

Golden Ducks

Lasith Malinga

Sri Lanka 226 119 13

Shahid Afridi

Pakistan 398 369

12

Wasim Akram

Pakistan 356 280

10

Moin Khan

Pakistan 219 183 10

Sanath Jayasuriya

Sri Lanka 445 433

9

Highest Golden Duck in Cricket T20Is

Kevin Irakoze (Rwanda) is at the top of the golden duck in cricket list for T20Is. Check the top 5 here:

Player

Country Matches Innings

Golden Ducks

Kevin Irakoze

Rwanda 75 56

9

Martin Akayezu

Rwanda 95 79

8

Dasun Shanaka

Sri Lanka 114 103

7

Soumya Sarkar

Bangladesh 87 86

6

Ehsan Nawaz Khan

Hong Kong 99 54

6

Did You Know? Rashid Khan has the most golden duck in cricket in IPL.

Famous Golden Ducks in Cricket History

Here are some of the most famous and talked about golden duck in cricket history:

  • Sachin Tendulkar was dismissed for a golden duck by Wasim Akram in the 1999 Kolkata Test.
  • Ricky Ponting got a golden duck in the 2010 Boxing Day Test.
  • Virat Kohli was out for a golden duck while facing James Anderson in 2014 (India tour of England). He also has a golden duck in T20Is against Afghanistan.
  • Mahendra Singh Dhoni was run out on a golden duck on his ODI debut.
  • Chris Gayle got a golden duck on his Test debut.

Who is Golden Duck in Cricket (India)

Ever wondered who has the most golden duck in cricket in India? Here is the list (format-wise):

  • Test Cricket: Kapil Dev (7 in 184 innings)
  • ODI Cricket: Javagal Srinath (8 in 121 innings)
  • T20 Cricket: Rohit Sharma (5 in 151 innings)

Lowest Golden Duck in Cricket

Kepler Wessels, Yashpal Sharma, Daryl Mitchell, and Jacques Rudolph are among the players who have zero ducks/golden ducks in ODI. Jim Burke, Reggie Duff, and Brijesh Patel have the fewest number of golden ducks in tests (0). While Faf du Plessis, Dinesh Chandimal, Marlon Samuels, and Najmol Shanto are some of the players who have zero ducks in T20Is.

Some Rare Dismissals in Cricket

Hit Wicket

Their bat, foot, or body touches the stumps while playing a shot or starting a run.

Handled the Ball (now part of Obstructing the Field)

They pick up or hit the ball with their hand while the ball is in play.

Obstructing the Field

They stop a fielder from catching or throwing the ball by using body or words.

Timed Out

A new batter must reach the crease within 3 minutes. If not, they are out.

Mankading (Run Out at Non-Striker’s End)

Happens when the non-striker leaves the crease too early.

Final Words

You now know about every type of duck in cricket. You also read many golden duck statistics. With this info, you are now one step closer to placing more accurate and smart bets on cricket. So why wait? Download the official Parimatch app  today and make predictions on cricket matches to win.

FAQs:

What is a golden duck in cricket?

A golden duck in cricket refers to a situation when a batter gets out without scoring a run (on the first ball).

What is the meaning of golden duck in cricket?

A golden duck means the player is dismissed for zero on the first ball.

Why is it called a golden duck in cricket?

“0” looks like a duck’s egg. So it is called a duck. The word “golden” is added because getting out on the first ball is rare.

How players get out for a duck?

A player can get bowled, caught, LBW, run out, or stumped for a duck.

Has Virat Kohli ever got a golden duck?

Yes, Virat Kohli has been dismissed for golden ducks in international cricket. He has golden ducks in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is.

Who has the most golden ducks in cricket?

Muttiah Muralitharan has the most golden ducks in Test cricket. Lasith Malinga has the most in ODIs.

Which batsman has 0 ducks?

Kepler Wessels has zero ducks in ODIs. Marlon Samuels has zero ducks in T20Is

What is a cricket dismissal golden duck?

It is a type of dismissal where the batter gets out for zero on the very first ball they face

What does a first-ball out in cricket mean?

A first-ball out means the batter is dismissed on the very first ball they face. If the score is zero, it is called a golden duck.

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