Indian cricket has seen its share of shocking stats and selection debates, but this one might just top them all: a batter who stunned everyone with a single blazing century, only to follow it up with an incredible 10 ducks in his next 15 innings — yet somehow continues to hold his spot in Team India! Fans and experts alike are scratching their heads, asking: how does a player with such extreme highs and embarrassing lows keep getting selected?
The bizarre saga began when the batter, hailed as the next big thing after a sensational 105 in just his third ODI, was instantly labeled India’s future white-ball star. Social media lit up, the media called him “unstoppable,” and selectors looked convinced they had found a long-term middle-order solution. But since that knock, it’s been a horror show: repeated failures, including 10 innings where he fell for a duck, plus several single-digit scores — and not a single fifty.
Incredibly, despite his form spiraling into an unprecedented slump, the batter has remained part of India’s ODI and T20 squads for over a year. Meanwhile, several consistent domestic performers and promising IPL stars have been left cooling their heels, unable to break into the side.
Former India opener Virender Sehwag didn’t mince words on a recent sports show: “This is one of the strangest selection calls I’ve ever seen. You can’t keep picking someone just because he scored one good hundred ages ago. We have so much young talent waiting.”
The stats are damning: since that lone ton, the batter’s average has plunged to just 9.8, with a strike rate barely over 65 in ODIs — numbers that wouldn’t justify selection even in most Ranji Trophy sides.
Frustrated fans have taken to social media with hashtags like #DuckKing, #SelectionBlunder, and #JusticeForPerformers trending, demanding transparency from selectors and a fair chance for in-form players like Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rajat Patidar, or Abhishek Sharma.
BCCI sources have defended the continued backing, claiming the team management sees “untapped potential” and values the batter’s attitude in the dressing room. But critics argue that at the international level, performance must trump potential — especially when India is looking to fine-tune its squad for upcoming ICC tournaments.
Will this shocking run of failures finally force the selectors to rethink, or will India stick with arguably the weirdest selection story in recent memory?