Five Indian Batsmen Dismissed on the Very First Ball of a T20 Match, Including Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson

New Delhi: In an unusual and unfortunate series of events, five Indian batsmen have been dismissed on the very first ball of a T20 match, with the latest incidents involving Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson against New Zealand in 2026.

KL Rahul vs Zimbabwe – 2016
The first such instance occurred in 2016 when KL Rahul, fresh off a successful ODI series and trying to shake off his “Test specialist” tag, was dismissed on the first ball of his T20I debut against Zimbabwe in Harare. This marked the first time India lost their opening wicket on the very first delivery in a T20 innings.

Prithvi Shaw vs Sri Lanka – 2021
In 2021, Prithvi Shaw suffered a similar fate against Sri Lanka in Colombo. Coming off an impressive ODI performance, Shaw was given the chance to open in the T20 format. However, he was sent back to the pavilion on the first ball of the match, much to the surprise of fans given his recent form.

Rohit Sharma vs West Indies – 2022
Even established stars have faced this rare misfortune. In 2022, Indian captain Rohit Sharma was dismissed on the first ball by West Indies pacer Obed McCoy. Despite a match-winning fifty in the series opener, Sharma’s “golden duck” in the second match stunned fans and added pressure on the team’s batting lineup.

Sanju Samson vs New Zealand – 2026
Sanju Samson experienced this bitter moment in 2026 during a T20 match in Guwahati against New Zealand. Chasing 154, Samson attempted a flick off Matt Henry but was trapped LBW, marking his third consecutive low-scoring performance in the series and raising questions about his consistency at the international level.

Abhishek Sharma vs New Zealand – 2026
In the same year, Abhishek Sharma fell on the first ball in Visakhapatnam while India was chasing a formidable total of 216. Facing Matt Henry, Sharma was caught at deep backward point by Devon Conway, putting India immediately under pressure and highlighting the challenges of starting an innings in high-stakes matches.

This rare occurrence underscores the unpredictability of T20 cricket, where even seasoned players can be dismissed on the very first delivery, changing the dynamics of the game instantly.