New Zealand pulled one back in the five-match T20I series with a 50-run win over India in the fourth match in Visakhapatnam on Thursday, even as the hosts had already sealed the match with an elusive 3-0 lead. Chasing a stiff target, India never really got going and soon came under pressure. The situation worsened when opener Abhishek Sharma was dismissed for a golden duck.
In Vizag, Abhishek fell victim to a royal duck, dismissed by Matt Henry and caught by Devon Conway. It was a familiar story for the left-hander, who was also out first ball in the Raipur T20I, caught by Conway off Jacob Duffy on that occasion.
Abhishek’s comebacks in the series have been a study in extremes. He either hit quickfire half-centuries or departed without scoring. Despite registering two ducks, his average for the entire series still stands at an impressive 50.66.
Abhishek has now been dismissed for a duck three times in T20Is for India. This brings up an interesting question: how many species of duck are there in cricket? There are a total of ten recognized types.
DIAMOND DUCK: A diamond duck is when a batsman is dismissed without scoring a single delivery. This is extremely rare and can only happen in two situations: running out or timing out. During the 2023 ODI World Cup, Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews was given a timeout against Bangladesh, sparking widespread debate.
THE GOLDEN DUCK: A golden duck occurs when a batsman is dismissed in the very first ball of their innings. In the current series, Abhishek Sharma has fallen this way twice.
THE SILVER DUCK: A silver duck is recorded when a batsman is dismissed for a wicket on the second ball he faces, while a bronze duck refers to being run out on the third delivery.
THE BRONZE DUCK: When a batsman reaches the crease and is dismissed for nothing on the third ball he faces, it is called a bronze duck. In other words, getting from zero to the third van is called a bronze duck.
KING DUCK: The royal duck, also known as the platinum duck, is only associated with opening batters. When an opener is dismissed for a wicket on the very first ball of a match, it is called a “royal” or “platinum duck”. It is considered the rarest and most unfortunate form of duck. Abhishek was released in Vizag in exactly this way.
THE LAUGHING DUCK: The Laughing Duck is another rare phenomenon. If a batsman is dismissed for a wicket on the last ball of a team’s innings, he is known as a laughing duck.
FEW: The pair is only seen in Test cricket. When a batsman is dismissed for a run in both innings of a Test match, regardless of the number of balls he faces, it is called a pair.
ROYAL COUPLE: The royal couple is an even harsher result in Test cricket. If a batsman is dismissed for a wicket off the first ball he faces in both innings, it is called a royal pair.
TITANIUM DUCK: The Titanium Duck is similar to the Diamond Duck with one major difference. It specifically refers to the first ball of a team’s innings. If a batsman is dismissed without scoring and without facing a delivery on the very first ball of the innings, it is called a titanium duck.
THE GOLDEN GOOSE: The Golden Goose Duck follows the concept of the Golden Duck, but adds a seasonal context. If a batsman is dismissed for a wicket on the first ball he faces in the first match of the new season, it is called a golden goose.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
January 30, 2026