New Delhi: Indian openers Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma created an unwanted record after being dismissed on golden ducks in the 2nd T20I against at the Civil Service Cricket Club in Belfast.
India got off to a disastrous start in the 155-run chase against Ireland, losing both their openers on ducks in the very first over.
Jai Moondra, the Indian-origin Irish left-arm pacer who troubled the Indian batters in the series opener, continued his impressive run with the ball in the 2nd ODI. He trapped Samson lbw on the very first ball of the first over of innings to give Ireland a dream start.
Three balls later, Abhishek was caught by Matt Holard on a golden duck, handing Moondra his second wicket in the same over. Hollard took a screamer, running from third man, and plucking the ball towards his back while watching the boundary. Samson and Abhishek achieved the unwanted record of becoming the first Indian opening pair to register golden ducks in the same game in T20Is.
Overall, Samson and Abhishek are the third Indian opening pair to be dismissed for ducks each in the same T20I. However, they remain the first pair to have bagged golden ducks in the same game.
Both Indian openers dismissed for ducks in a T20I innings:
Rohit Sharma & Ajinkya Rahane vs Pakistan, Mirpur 2016
Shubman Gill & Yashasvi Jaiswal vs South Africa, Gqeberha 2023
Sanju Samson & Abhishek Sharma vs Ireland, Belfast 2026
India’s horror run continued after the duo’s dismissal as Moondra piled more misery on the visitors by dismissing skipper Shreyas Iyer cheaply on 10 off 7 balls. The left-arm pacer castled Iyer’s stumps with a ripper, leaving him stunned. Ishan Kishan (12) was run out in an unfortunate manner in the 5th over, reducing India to 35/4 in the 155-run chase.
6th duck for Abhishek Sharma in T20Is in 2026
Abhishek recorded his sixth duck in T20Is in 2026, climbing to the second spot on the list of batters with the most ducks in a calendar year in T20Is among full-member nations. The explosive left-hander endured a lean patch for India in the T20 World Cup 2026, where he was dismissed on a duck three times in a row. He now has 9 ducks in T20 cricket in 2026, the most by an Indian in a calendar year.
Meanwhile, Samson registered his second consecutive failure in the ongoing three-match T20I series against Ireland after he was removed cheaply on 5 by Moondra in the 1st T20I at the same venue.