Hyderabad: Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) opener Abhishek Sharma etched his name into the record books for the wrong reasons on Monday, April 13, 2026. During a high-stakes IPL clash against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Sharma was dismissed for a golden duck, marking his seventh score of zero in T20 cricket this calendar year.

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With this dismissal, Sharma has surpassed the previous Indian record for the most T20 ducks in a single calendar year, overtaking the marks held by Rohit Sharma (2018) and Sanju Samson (2024).

The Record-Breaking Moment

Opening the innings for SRH, Abhishek Sharma attempted to maintain his trademark aggressive intent from the very first ball. However, he fell into a perfectly laid trap by RR’s Jofra Archer. Attempting to slash a short delivery over the ropes, Sharma only managed a thick top edge that was safely pouched by Ravi Bishnoi at third man.

A Year of Extremes

The 2026 season has been a "boom or bust" campaign for the young southpaw. Despite the high frequency of ducks, Sharma has remained a lethal force when he gets past the first few deliveries. In just 18 T20 innings this year, he has accumulated 452 runs at a staggering strike rate of 203.60.

His 2026 "Duck Diary" includes:

  • 2 Ducks vs New Zealand (January)
  • 3 Ducks during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup (including back-to-back zeros)
  • 2 Ducks in the ongoing IPL 2026 (vs LSG and RR)