Image: Unwanted IPL records for teams whose top order collapsed for ducks / © India Today
Not every IPL match turns into a run fest. Sometimes, it is the bowlers who take charge and flip the game early. On very rare occasions, things get even worse for the batting side, like when the No. 2, 3, and 4 batters all get out for ducks. This has happened only 3 times in IPL history, and each time it has had a big impact on the match.
This collapse came during the Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals game in 2024 at Wankhede. Rohit Sharma was out for 0 off the very first ball he faced. Naman Dhir followed suit, and Dewald Brevis could not open his account either.
| Batter | Dismissal | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rohit Sharma | c †Samson b Boult | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Naman Dhir | lbw b Boult | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Dewald Brevis | c Burger b Boult | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Just like that, 3 top three order batters were gone without scoring. Mumbai were 14 for 3 early on and never really recovered. Trent Boult did the damage upfront, and Rajasthan chased the small target comfortably.
In 2026, the Rajasthan Royals had a nightmare start while chasing 217 against the Sunrisers Hyderabad. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi fell on the second ball, Dhruv Jurel went soon after, and Lhuan-dre Pretorius also got out for 0.
| Batter | Dismissal | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vaibhav Sooryavanshi | c †Arora b Hinge | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Dhruv Jurel | b Hinge | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Lhuan-Dre Pretorius | c Nitish Kumar Reddy b Hinge | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
The scoreboard read 1 for 3 inside the first over, which is about as bad as it gets in T20 cricket. From there, the chase was always going to be tough, and Rajasthan ended up losing by 57 runs.
The third instance also came in 2026 when Lucknow Super Giants faced Rajasthan Royals. Ayush Badoni was run out without scoring, Rishabh Pant edged one behind for a duck, and Aiden Markram also could not get off the mark.
| Batter | Dismissal | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ayush Badoni | run out (sub Ravi Singh) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Rishabh Pant | c †Jurel b Burger | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Aiden Markram | c †Jurel b Archer | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Within 2.5 overs, LSG were 11 for 3. That early blow hurt them badly. Even though Mitchell Marsh scored 55, the team could only reach 119 and lost the match by 40 runs. These moments show how brutal the IPL can be. One bad start at the top, and the entire innings can fall apart before it even gets going.