Getting out for a duck is the worst possible thing for any batsman. The aim of all batsmen is to score big and play a match-winning knock for their teams. However, the same is not possible in every match. Sometimes, the batsmen manage to play extraordinary innings. At the same time, there are some innings where the batters lose their wickets without troubling scorers.
Ups and downs are a part of the game, but a true champion is someone who knows how to face the issues and overcomes it. Many popular names got out for a duck in their first innings of their career. Some did it in Tests, some in ODIs, while the following five batsmen lost their wickets on zero on their T20I debuts.
1. One of the Indian opening batsmen to feature on this list – Prithvi Shaw
Prithvi Shaw received his maiden T20I cap against the Sri Lankan cricket team on July 25, 2021 at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Fans had high hopes from the former Indian U-19 cricket team captain. He had done exceptionally well for the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League.
However, Prithvi got out for a duck in his first-ever T20I innings for the Indian cricket team. Dushmantha Chameera was the bowler who took the wicket of Shaw in that match.
2. MS Dhoni
Not many fans would remember but former Indian wicket-keeper batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni got out for a 2-ball duck on his T20I debut. He was a part of the Indian playing XI that played the historic first-ever T20I match of the country against the South African cricket team in the year 2006.
India chased a modest target of 127 runs at the Wanderers Stadium in that match. Dhoni came out to bat at number four and lost his stumps to Charles Langeveldt on the second delivery that he faced.
3. One of the Indian opening batsmen to feature on this list – KL Rahul
KL Rahul is one of the highest-ranked batsmen in the ICC T20I Rankings for Batsmen at the moment. However, the right-handed batsman did not have a memorable start to his T20 international career. Rahul made his T20I debut against the Zimbabwean cricket team at Harare Sports Club in 2016.
Zimbabwe batted first and scored 170 runs in their innings. KL Rahul opened the innings for the visitors and lost his wicket to Donald Tiripano on the first ball.
4. Mahela Jayawardene
Mahela Jayawardene is one of the few Sri Lankan batsmen to have registered a century in the shortest format of the game. Jayawardene scored a hundred against Zimbabwe. However, he had lost his wicket for a duck in the very first T20I knock of his career.
The former Sri Lankan cricket team captain made his T20I debut against England at The Ageas Bowl in 2006. Unfortunately, Jayawardene got run out for a golden duck.
5. Michael Vaughan
Former England cricket team captain Michael Vaughan is another popular batsman who got out on zero in his first T20I innings. Vaughan played only two T20I matches in his career, both were against the Australian cricket team.
In his first innings in the T20I arena, Vaughan got out on the first ball, with Andrew Symonds taking his wicket. Interestingly, Symonds dismissed him in the second T20I innings of his career as well.
