Getting out on a duck is tough for any batter, as it means returning to the dressing room without scoring a run. In cricket, there are various types of ducks like Golden, Diamond and more.

Getting out on a duck is very tough for any batter in the game of cricket because you prepare yourself for the match and, in the end, you return to the dressing room without scoring a single run, and this is called a duck in cricket. But there are so many types of ducks for batsmen. Do you have any idea about the different kinds of ducks in cricket? If not, stay with us as we will explore all of the types of ducks in cricket. But first, let’s understand what a duck in cricket means.

What is Duck in Cricket?

In cricket, a “duck” refers to a batsman getting out without scoring any runs. It occurs when the player is dismissed before adding a single run to their team’s total. The term originates from the shape of the number zero, which resembles a duck’s egg. A common example is when a batsman is bowled, caught, or trapped LBW (leg before wicket) on the very first ball they face, resulting in a “golden duck.”

Various Types of Ducks in Cricket

Golden Duck

Golden duck is the most common type of duck in cricket; everyone is quite familiar with this kind of duck. This term is used when a batter fails to score on the first ball he faces in his inning. For instance, if a batsman comes to bat and is bowled out or caught on the first delivery he faces, without scoring any runs, that would be considered a golden duck.

Silver Duck

It is one of the worst way to get out for any batsman in cricket. In this type of duck, a batsman gets out without scoring runs in 2 balls, which means he gets out on the second ball and he does not score any runs.

Bronze Duck 

This is the third kind of duck on our list; this term is used when a batsman gets out on the third ball of his inning without scoring a single run; in short, it is when a batsman gets out without scoring a run in the third ball he plays. 

Diamond Duck 

Many of the batters are having an unlucky day when they get a diamond duck because in this type of duck, a batter gets out without facing a single ball. It could be either through runout and mankading. This is the worst duck for a batter because you don’t get a single ball to play and you are back in the dressing room.

Royal Duck / Platinum Duck

This term is very rarely used in cricket; you will only get this phrase in the English commentary sometimes. In this case, an opening batter gets out on the very first ball of the inning. The best example of this duck is from the Ashes 2021, when England’s opener Rory Burns got bowled by Mitchell Starc. In this case, England’s opener got the Royal Duck.

Laughing Duck

It is a type of duck in cricket that happens when a batter gets this kind of duck when he gets out on the last ball of the team’s inning without scoring a single run. Typically, bowlers coming in to bat end up with a Laughing Duck.

King Duck 

This type of duck occurs in test cricket; in this, a batter gets out on the very first ball of both innings of a test match. 

Golden Goose Duck

If a batter is out on the very first ball of the first match of a new season without scoring, it’s called a golden goose duck.