Kohli matches Sachin's 20 ODI ducks in less games

Virat Kohli equaled Sachin Tendulkar's record of 20 ODI ducks during a recent match against New Zealand. This unwanted milestone was reached after Kohli was dismissed without scoring in the fourth ODI. India faced a crushing 244-run defeat, marking their heaviest loss in ODIs in 26 years. Kohli's duck came as India collapsed to 89 runs while chasing 334.

Virat Kohli has spent much of his career chasing Sachin Tendulkar's records, particularly the former India captain's extraordinary tally of 100 international centuries. But after India's humiliating defeat to New Zealand in the fourth ODI, Kohli has drawn level with Tendulkar on a far less flattering statistic, most ducks by an Indian batter in the format.

Kohli's four-ball dismissal for a duck at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Friday took his tally of ODI ducks to 20, matching Tendulkar's unwanted record. There is, however, a significant difference between the two, Kohli has reached the mark in just 321 matches, while Tendulkar accumulated the same number of ducks over 463 ODIs.

The unwanted milestone came on a disastrous day for India, who suffered a crushing 244-run defeat after being bowled out for just 89 while chasing New Zealand's 334-run target. The defeat was India's heaviest in ODIs in 26 years.

India's chase unravelled almost immediately, with Rohit Sharma, Kohli and Shreyas Iyer all dismissed for ducks in the opening over. New Zealand pacer Matt Henry produced a sensational opening spell, removing the three senior batters without allowing India to get off the mark.

Kohli now sits at the top of the list of Indian batters with the most ODI ducks, alongside Tendulkar. Former India pacer Javagal Srinath is third with 19, while Anil Kumble and Rohit Sharma have 18 each.

The contrast between Kohli and Tendulkar is particularly striking given how closely their careers have been compared. Kohli is pursuing Tendulkar's record of 49 ODI centuries and has already surpassed him in several batting milestones. But the latest entry into their shared record books is one neither batter would have wanted.

India captain Shreyas Iyer acknowledged that Henry's accuracy and the movement on offer made the chase extremely difficult, while pointing to the difference in batting conditions across the two innings.

"We saw it; there was a huge difference in the first innings and the second innings in terms of wickets, but also credit where it's due, the way Henry bowled in the right areas right from ball one. I think that was sensational," Iyer said after the match.

For Kohli, the dismissal added an unwanted footnote to a career defined by his pursuit of batting records. On a day when India suffered one of their most embarrassing ODI defeats, he also found himself level with the player whose greatest records he has spent years trying to surpass.