Stats: Players with two ducks in their first two ODIs

Sri Lanka’s Sadeera Samarawickrama’s ODI career started off in a forgettable way as the young player bagged ducks in his first two ODI matches in the 5-match ODI series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates. The 23-year-old, who made his ODI debut in the 4th ODI of the series, was cleaned up on the very 2nd ball he faced off Imad Wasim’s bowling.

In the final match of the series, Sadeera got a promotion to open the innings as Niroshan Dickwella came to bat at No.5. However, the youngster failed to make the chance count as Pakistan’s left-arm pacer Usman Khan castled the stumps of Samarawickrama in the very first over of the game played at Sharjah’s International Cricket Stadium. The Sri Lankan lasted only three balls and became the 22nd player in the history to be dismissed for ducks in first two ODI matches in a career. Sadeera Samarawickrama is the 2nd Sri Lankan to bag this feat after Susil Fernando.

The last of the previous 21 players to bag ducks in their first two ODIs was South Africa’s Rilee Rossouw. The 22-men list contains the names such as Sachin Tendulkar, who ended up being the highest in all batting charts and Kane Williamson, the current New Zealand captain and one of the modern-day greats. Alongside Sachin and Williamson, Pakistan’s Asif Muztaba, New Zealand’s Mathew Sinclair and Rossouw are the only players to score an ODI century after bagging ducks in their first two ODI matches.

Canada’s Robert Callander, Bangladesh’s Harunur Rashid and Namibia’s Riaan Walters didn’t get to play another ODI after bagging ducks in their first two matches. Pakistan’s Shadab Kabir has a unique distinction of not featuring in an ODI after bagging ducks in each of his first three ODI matches. Canada’s Nicholas de Groot, Ireland’s Peter Gillespie and Shadab Kabir are the only players to be dismissed for ducks in each of their first three ODIs and Sadeera would prefer not joining these two when he gets to play again in this format.

Players with ducks in first two ODI matches in career:

(Stats as on October 23, 2017)