Attacking India opener Abhishek Sharma added another unwanted chapter to his 2026 season on Tuesday, September 22, falling for a first-ball duck in the historic one-off T20I against Japan at Sano International Cricket Ground in Kanto.
The rain-affected contest was reduced to five overs a side. India captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and chose to bat. Sanju Samson faced the first five balls before Abhishek came on strike.
Japan’s 17-year-old spinner Charlie Hara-Hinze bowled one on the leg stump. Sharma crouched to help it along but only managed a top edge. Shoma Sugaya-Slater ran back and completed the catch. Sharma was out for 0 off 1 ball, leaving India 7/1.
The Unwanted Milestones
Abhishek’s dismissal was more than just a bad day at the crease; it put him at the top of several unwanted records.
Most ducks in all T20 cricket in a calendar year: 10 ducks (2026)
- Surpassed Rashid Khan (9 in 2019) & Shadab Khan (9 in 2024)
Most ducks in T20Is in a calendar year: 7 ducks (2026)
- Joint-most with Orchide Tuyisenge (2023), Zappy Bimenyimana (2023), & Saim Ayub (2025)
Most golden ducks in T20Is in a calendar year: 5 golden ducks (2026)
- Joint-most with Kevin Irakoze (2023) & Richard Ngarava (2024)
Most golden ducks by an Indian opener in T20Is: 5 golden ducks
- Surpassed Rohit Sharma (4)
The Cost Of Ultra-Aggressive Intent
Just five days earlier, Sharma had smashed a 30-ball century against Afghanistan in Delhi, one of the fastest T20I hundreds by a player from a Full Member nation. He entered the Japan match as one of the most explosive openers in world cricket.
The Sano pitch, however, was slow and turning, and Japan’s spinners made full use of it. India crawled to 32/4, with Iyer top-scoring with 16. Japan chased and finished on 30/3, falling short by two runs in a last-over thriller.
Sharma’s 2026 has been a strange mix of brilliance and collapse. He has piled up big scores and broken records, yet the ducks have piled up just as quickly – in the T20 World Cup, IPL, and now bilateral cricket. Ten ducks in one year is an outlier even for a high-risk, high-reward opener who regularly faces the new ball.
