Cricket Kitchen

Nepali Cricketers with Most Ducks in ODI

April 29, 2025

Since Nepal made its ODI debut in 2018, several players have had to walk back to the pavilion without opening their account. A total of 20 Nepali cricketers have been dismissed for zero at least once in their ODI careers. Interestingly, some well-known names are absent from this list — notably, former captain Paras Khadka, who has never been dismissed for a duck in any of his ODI appearances for Nepal.

Let’s now take a closer look at which Nepali players have how many ducks in their ODI careers:

Starting with explosive left-hander Kushal Malla, he has only been dismissed for a duck once. Since making his debut in 2020, Malla has played 36 matches and batted in 32 innings, scoring 716 runs with one century and four half-centuries. His highest ODI score is 108, and he has remained not out three times.

Other players who have been out for a duck once include Anil Kumar Shah, Subash Khakurel, Kamal Singh Airee, and Basir Ahmad. All of them have played fewer than 10 ODIs for Nepal.

Among the more dependable names, Bhim Sharki has been dismissed for a duck twice. Since debuting in 2022, Sharki has batted in 22 innings, scoring one century and three fifties. He has remained not out three times.

Also on the list with two ducks each are:

• Dev Khanal (12 matches),

• Sompal Kami (42 matches),

• Lalit Rajbanshi (29 matches),

• Pawan Sarraf (10 matches),

• Arjun Saud (9 matches), and

• Basanta Regmi (4 matches).

Former captain Gyanendra Malla has been dismissed for a duck three times. Between 2018 and 2023, he played 37 ODIs, scoring 876 runs with seven half-centuries, but no centuries.

Middle-order all-rounder Aarif Sheikh and bowl

ing all-rounder Karan KC have both fallen for a duck four times in their careers. Each has been part of Nepal’s playing XI in 51 matches, with Aarif batting in 43 innings and Karan in 36.

Nepal’s current captain Rohit Kumar Paudel and opening batter Aasif Sheikh have both been dismissed for zero on five occasions. Rohit, who debuted in 2018, has played 58 innings and scored 1,586 runs, remaining not out five times. Aasif has 49 innings under his belt, scoring 1,401 runs with four not-outs.

In second place on this unfortunate list is former skipper and leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane, who has seven ducks to his name. Since 2018, he has played 35 ODIs and remained not out in eight innings.

Joining him is attacking opener Kushal Bhurtel, who has also been dismissed without scoring in seven innings. Since making his ODI debut in 2021, Bhurtel has scored 1,219 runs in 51 innings but has yet to remain not out even once.

At the top of this list is none other than Nepali cricket’s poster boy — Dipendra Singh Airee. While he holds several positive records, he also tops this less flattering chart. Since his ODI debut in 2018, Airee has played 53 matches, remained not out six times, but has been dismissed for zero a record eight times, the most by any Nepali batter in ODIs.

Photo: Espncricinfo.com