7 times both openers were dismissed for a duck in the IPL

The very nature of the T20 game is such that batsmen have to start swinging from the very outset and it applies even more to opening batsmen since they bat during the Powerplays. Since the batsmen have to go hammer and tongs from the first ball, there is every possibility of them being dismissed cheaply.

However, in extreme circumstance, both batsmen can be dismissed for ducks, through a combination of bad shot selection and excellent bowling from the fielding team. It is rare but it has happened and in the IPL, the world’s pre-eminent T20 tournament, it has happened 7 times so far. Let’s take a look at who those openers were.

#7 Parthiv Patel and Stephen Fleming for Chennai Super Kings against Rajasthan Royals, 2008

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During the first edition of the IPL, the Rajasthan Royals emerged as the best team in the league and a large part of their bowling excellence was down to the outstanding efforts of Pakistani paceman Sohail Tanvir.

In the game against the Chennai Super Kings at Jaipur back in 2008, the left-arm fast bowler broke the back of the CSK top order by trapping both openers-Parthiv Patel and Stephen Fleming- leg before for nought in the first over. The CSK never recovered and crashed to 109 all out, as Tanvir ended up with dream figure of 6 for 14. The Royals won by 8 wickets with almost 6 overs to spare. 

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