GOLDEN DUCK! After A World-Record Century, Abhishek Sharma Suffers First-Ball Duck Against Japan

Cricket proved its reputation as a brutal leveller as Indian opener Abhishek Sharma fell for a first-ball duck against Japan, just days after smashing the fastest T20 International century by an Indian batter.

The dramatic turnaround unfolded during the historic Suzuki Cup fixture at the Sano International Cricket Ground, where India faced Japan in a rain-curtailed five-overs-a-side match. Japanese pacer Charles Hinze delivered the opening blow of the innings, knocking over Sharma on the very first ball to send the swashbuckling left-hander back to the pavilion without scoring.

Highs and Lows of Modern T20 Cricket

Sharma’s golden duck comes in sharp contrast to his record-breaking outing against Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. In that match, the 26-year-old tore apart the opposition bowling unit, racing to a 30-ball century to surpass Rohit Sharma's long-standing national record of 35 balls.

During that 108-run blitz off 34 deliveries, Sharma also set the record for the most individual runs scored in a T20I powerplay, hammering 76 runs off 22 balls in the first six overs.

Against Japan, however, Sharma found no rhythm. Hinze pitched the opening delivery up on a tight stump line, forcing an early push from Sharma that resulted in a clean dismissal before India had a single run on the board.

Early Stumble in Historic Match

Japan seized the momentum early in the shortened contest. Shortly after Sharma’s departure, bowler Ibrahim Takahashi removed fellow opener Sanju Samson for 9 runs, leaving Team India reeling at 9/2 after 1.2 overs.

The fixture marks the first-ever senior men's international cricket match between India and Japan, organized to commemorate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations. While India went into the match as heavy favourites, Japan's early double-strike provided an unexpected twist in the opening overs.