A duck is never an easy moment for any batter, and when it happens in back-to-back games, it becomes an uncomfortable statistic attached even to the biggest names. Virat Kohli’s recent returns in the ongoing ODI series against Australia have brought this rare event back into discussion.
As the veteran right-hander has fallen for zero in successive innings for the first time in his long international career. This occurrence puts him alongside a short list of premier Indian batters who, despite their stature and achievements, have also gone through the disappointment of consecutive ducks in ODI history.
#1 Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma, one of India’s most prolific ODI openers with 11,249 runs in 275 matches, also has a phase of consecutive ducks in his record. This happened in the 2012 away ODI series against Sri Lanka, where he was dismissed for a five-ball duck in the second match and followed that with a golden duck in the third. Despite Rohit’s poor run of just 13 runs in five innings, India still won the series 4-1.
#2 Sachin Tendulkar
Even Sachin Tendulkar, the most celebrated ODI batter in history, began his one-day career with a difficult phase. Making his debut in 1989 against Pakistan at Gujranwala, he fell for a two-ball duck. In his second ODI in 1990 against New Zealand at Carisbrook, he again failed to open his account, resulting in consecutive ducks in the first two matches of his ODI journey.
#3 Virat Kohli
The most recent name to join this list is Virat Kohli. The right-hander was dismissed for an eight-ball duck by Mitchell Starc in the first ODI in Perth on October 19, 2025. In the following match at Adelaide on October 23, he once again failed to score and was dismissed LBW to Xavier Bartlett for a four-ball duck. This is the first instance in Kohli’s ODI career where he has posted back-to-back scoreless innings.
#4 Virender Sehwag
Former opener Virender Sehwag also recorded successive ducks during the 2003 ODI tri-series featuring Australia and New Zealand. In India’s first two matches against Australia in that tournament, left-arm quick Nathan Bracken removed Sehwag for a duck in both innings. Australia later went on to win the tournament by beating host India in the final at Eden Gardens.
#5 Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singh, who later won Player of the Tournament in the 2011 World Cup, suffered consecutive ducks in the 2006/07 DLF Cup in Kuala Lumpur, which involved Australia and West Indies. In India’s first encounter against Australia, Yuvraj was dismissed for a three-ball duck by Mitchell Johnson. In the very next game against West Indies, he again fell without scoring, this time off four balls to Dwayne Smith. Australia eventually won the title by defeating the West Indies in the final.
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