On Sunday, January 14, India took on Afghanistan in Indore in the second T20I of the sides' bilateral series, with the hosts looking to take an unassailable 2-0 lead.
After being put in to bat, Afghanistan lost captain Ibrahim Zadran early but Gulbadin Naib's counter-attacking 57 began to look dangerous before he was dismissed by left-arm spinner Axar Patel. Some solid hitting towards the back end then took the visitors to 172.
Thereafter, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shivam Dube took over, smashing 68 and 63* respectively to take India home with a massive 26 balls to spare.
Three ducks in a series? India captain Rohit Sharma on the verge of unwanted T20I record
After being run out for a two-ball duck in the first T20I in Mohali, Indian captain Rohit Sharma was dismissed even earlier in Indore, charging down the wicket first ball to Fazalhaq Farooqi only to see his stumps rearranged.
With the T20 World Cup coming up in June and India playing only one more T20I ahead of the global event, this has been a near-disaster for Rohit on a personal level. There is a long IPL season ahead for him to regain some form, but in India colours he has failed to impress in the shortest form.
MORE: Pandya's competitor Dube hits back-to-back 50s against Afghanistan
In fact, Rohit's two ducks in this series have put him on the verge of an unwanted record. Only five players have scored 3 or more ducks in a men's T20I bilateral series, and none of them have come from a Test-playing nation. Another early dismissal could see Rohit added to this list.
| Name | Innings | Ducks | Team | Opponent | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Mansale | 5 | 3 | Vanuatu | Malaysia | 2019 |
| Moazzam Baig | 4 | 3 | Malawi | Mozambique | 2019 |
| Arvind Kerai | 5 | 3 | Sierra Leone | Nigeria | 2021 |
| Buhle Dlamini | 5 | 3 | Eswatini | Mozambique | 2022 |
| Carl Hartmann | 5 | 3 | Isle of Man | Spain | 2023 |
Apart from being the first player from a Test-playing nation to make the list, Rohit could also become the first player to suffer this fate in a 3-match series. India will play Afghanistan in the 3rd T20I in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
