Most Ducks in T20I Cricket: Top 10 Batters

Dasun Shanaka holds the record for the most ducks in men’s T20I cricket, with 16 dismissals without scoring. He reached the record against Ireland during the 2026 T20 World Cup on 9 February, when a golden duck took his career tally to 16.

Rwanda’s Zappy Bimenyimana, Martin Akayezu and Kevin Irakoze also feature among the batters with the most T20I ducks. Their records, along with those of Paul Stirling and other international players, show why duck totals should be compared with the number of batting innings.

Who Has the Most Ducks in T20I Cricket?

Sri Lanka’s Dasun Shanaka holds the men’s T20I record with 16 ducks. He moved ahead of Rwanda’s Zappy Bimenyimana, who had 15 at the time, after getting out for a golden duck against Ireland in February 2026. The record was set while Shanaka was captaining Sri Lanka at the T20 World Cup.

Rank	Player	Team	Ducks	Innings
1	Dasun Shanaka	Sri Lanka	16	103*
2	Zappy Bimenyimana	Rwanda	13	58
2	Martin Akayezu	Rwanda	13	79
2	Kevin Irakoze	Rwanda	13	56
2	Soumya Sarkar	Bangladesh	13	86
2	Paul Stirling	Ireland	13	150
7	Chaloemwong Chatphaisan	Thailand	12	45
7	Kevin O’Brien	Ireland	12	103
7	Rohit Sharma	India	12	151
10	Daniel Anefie	Ghana	11	28

Innings figures are from the 8 October 2025 statistical snapshot. Shanaka’s duck total was updated to 16 in February 2026; 103 is his innings count at the earlier snapshot, not his updated career total. Players with equal duck totals share the same rank, and the next rank is skipped.

1. Dasun Shanaka: 16 Ducks

Source: Wisden

Dasun Shanaka became the first batter to reach 16 ducks in men’s T20I cricket when he was dismissed for a golden duck against Ireland during the 2026 T20 World Cup. The dismissal came on 9 February 2026 and took him past Rwanda’s Zappy Bimenyimana, who had 15 ducks at that point.

Shanaka has been an important all rounder for Sri Lanka and has also captained the national team. He was dismissed for three consecutive ducks in 2017, another unusual sequence in his T20I career.

2. Zappy Bimenyimana: 13 Ducks in the 2025 Snapshot

Rwanda’s Zappy Bimenyimana had recorded 13 ducks in 58 T20I innings in the October 2025 statistical snapshot. He later reached 15 ducks, placing him among the leading players in the record list before Shanaka moved ahead in February 2026.

Bimenyimana also holds an unusual calendar year record. He was dismissed for a duck seven times in 2023, the most T20I ducks by a batter in a calendar year at the time. His record includes two diamond ducks.

3. Martin Akayezu: 13 Ducks

Martin Akayezu had recorded 13 ducks in 79 T20I innings in the October 2025 snapshot. He made his T20I debut for Rwanda in August 2021 and has contributed to the team as an all rounder.

Akayezu is also Rwanda’s leading T20I wicket taker. The earlier statistical record showed 93 wickets in 95 matches, including nine golden ducks, two silver ducks and two bronze ducks among his batting dismissals.

4. Kevin Irakoze: 13 Ducks

Source: Emerging Cricket

Kevin Irakoze had registered 13 ducks in 56 T20I innings in the October 2025 figures. He made his international debut for Rwanda in 2021 and has represented the country as a right arm off spinner.

His batting record places him alongside two other Rwandan players in the same duck category. Irakoze also contributed with the ball, taking 74 wickets in 75 T20I matches during the period covered by the published figures.

5. Soumya Sarkar: 13 Ducks

Bangladesh’s Soumya Sarkar had recorded 13 ducks in 86 T20I innings in the October 2025 snapshot. He made his T20I debut against Pakistan in 2015 and has represented Bangladesh as a left handed batter and all rounder.

Sarkar has played in different batting positions for Bangladesh, including at the top of the order. His 13 ducks place him level with the three Rwandan players and Paul Stirling in the historical snapshot.

6. Paul Stirling: 13 Ducks

Ireland’s Paul Stirling had registered 13 ducks in 150 T20I innings in the October 2025 figures. He has been one of Ireland’s most experienced international batters and has played T20I cricket since 2009.

Stirling holds the record for the most ducks by an opener in men’s T20I cricket. All 13 of his dismissals without scoring in that snapshot came while opening the innings for Ireland.

7. Chaloemwong Chatphaisan: 12 Ducks

Thailand’s Chaloemwong Chatphaisan had recorded 12 ducks in 45 T20I innings in the October 2025 snapshot. He made his international debut in July 2022 against the Maldives and has featured regularly in Thailand’s T20I matches.

Chatphaisan is an opening batter and has also recorded several golden ducks. His total placed him among the leading players in the unwanted record list at the time of the published figures.

8. Kevin O’Brien: 12 Ducks

Source: Hindustan Times

Former Ireland all rounder Kevin O’Brien finished his T20I career with 12 ducks in 103 innings. He made his international debut in August 2008 and played 110 T20I matches before retiring from international cricket in 2022.

O’Brien was also known for his powerful batting and became the first Irish player to score a T20I century. His career included important contributions with both bat and ball, despite his appearance on this list.

9. Rohit Sharma: 12 Ducks

Former India captain Rohit Sharma recorded 12 ducks in 151 T20I innings. He made his T20I debut against England during the 2007 T20 World Cup and retired from the format after leading India to the 2024 T20 World Cup title.

Rohit finished his T20I career as one of the format’s leading run scorers. His record shows that even experienced top order batters can be dismissed without scoring in the fast paced international format.

10. Daniel Anefie: 11 Ducks

Ghana’s Daniel Anefie had recorded 11 ducks in 28 T20I innings in the October 2025 snapshot. He made his international debut in 2019 against Namibia and represented Ghana in regional T20I competitions.

Anefie also contributed as an all rounder, scoring 246 runs and taking 20 wickets in 36 T20I matches during the period covered by the published figures. His appearance in the list shows how associate nation players feature prominently in T20I duck records.

Why Do Rwanda Players Feature in the Most Ducks List?

Rwanda has several players among the batters with the most ducks in T20I cricket. Zappy Bimenyimana, Martin Akayezu and Kevin Irakoze all featured in the October 2025 list, while their international careers began within a relatively short period.

Rwanda played its first men’s T20I on 18 August 2021. The ICC had already granted T20I status to all men’s matches between its member nations from 1 January 2019. This allowed associate teams to build recognised international records through regular regional competitions.

The high volume of T20I matches played by associate nations is an important factor behind their presence in the list. More international appearances create more batting opportunities, which can also increase the number of dismissals without scoring.

Other Important T20I Duck Records

Apart from the overall career record, several players have achieved notable records related to the number and type of ducks.

• Most ducks in a calendar year: Zappy Bimenyimana was dismissed for a duck seven times in 2023.
• Most ducks by an opener: Paul Stirling holds the record for the most T20I ducks by an opening batter.
• Most golden ducks among the listed Rwanda players: Martin Akayezu had nine golden ducks in the statistical snapshot where his total stood at 13.
• Diamond ducks: Zappy Bimenyimana had two diamond ducks in the same historical record.
• Consecutive ducks: Dasun Shanaka was dismissed for three consecutive ducks in 2017.

These records show that a player’s overall duck count is only one part of the story. The number of innings, batting position and type of dismissal also help explain the figures.

Conclusion

Dasun Shanaka holds the record for the most ducks in men’s T20I cricket, with 16 dismissals without scoring. He reached the milestone against Ireland during the 2026 T20 World Cup, moving ahead of Rwanda’s Zappy Bimenyimana, who had 15 at the time.

Zappy Bimenyimana, Martin Akayezu, Kevin Irakoze, Soumya Sarkar and Paul Stirling have also recorded high duck totals. Comparing these figures with batting innings provides a clearer picture of each player’s record and makes the statistics more meaningful.

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