Rohit Sharma endured a miserable start to India’s five-match one-day international series against New Zealand, falling for a six-ball duck in the opening over of the chase at Eden Park in Auckland on Wednesday, November 4.
Opening the innings in pursuit of 187, Rohit was dismissed by New Zealand pacer Kyle Jamieson. With the ball holding a little on the surface, Rohit miscued a lofted shot and was caught by New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner at mid-off.
It was Rohit’s first duck in ODI cricket in three years. His previous nought in the format came on October 7, 2023, against Australia in India’s World Cup opener at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Between those two dismissals, Rohit batted through 39 ODI innings without a duck.
The Auckland dismissal was also his first ODI duck against New Zealand, and the 17th of his ODI career in 292 matches.
A rare failure in a strong year
The duck stood out because Rohit’s recent ODI form had been strong. In 13 ODIs in 2026 before the Auckland match, he had scored 604 runs at an average of 46.46, including two centuries and two fifties, according to the Indian Express.
In India’s previous home ODI series against the West Indies, he registered scores of 32, 101 and 92. That run of form underlined how out of character the Auckland dismissal was, rather than the start of a slump — though one innings, on its own, proves very little either way.
Former India spinner Murali Kartik, working as a commentator on the series, cautioned against reading too much into a six-ball innings, a view reported by Sportskeeda. Rohit’s game has always involved attacking early, and an attempted loft over mid-off that finds the fielder is a known risk of that approach.
India still won the opener
Rohit’s early exit did not cost India the match. New Zealand were restricted to a modest total after captain Shubman Gill chose to bowl first, with left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh taking four wickets and Gurnoor Brar three. Anshul Kamboj returned the economical figures of 10-2-22-2.
Rain then intervened in the chase, cutting it to 32 overs and revising India’s target to 143 under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method. Virat Kohli, batting at No. 3, scored 74 off 51 balls, sharing a stand of 113 with Gill, and India reached 143 for five in 22.4 overs to win by five wickets and take a 1-0 series lead.
The series continues in Wellington on Saturday, November 7.
What is known, and what is not
Confirmed: the dismissal (six balls, Jamieson to Santner at mid-off), the three-year gap since the Chennai duck in October 2023, the 39-innings run without a duck in between, and the match result. Not established by a single innings: any conclusion about Rohit’s form, his place in the side, or the rest of the series. Those questions will be answered by the remaining four matches, starting in Wellington.
Note on the queue line: the queued item described this as Rohit’s “first ODI in three years”. That wording is corrected here — it was his first ODI duck in three years, not his first ODI. He has played regularly in the format since the 2023 World Cup.
FAQ
When was Rohit Sharma’s last ODI duck before Auckland?
October 7, 2023, against Australia in the World Cup opener in Chennai.
Who dismissed him in Auckland?
Kyle Jamieson, in the first over of India’s chase, with Mitchell Santner taking the catch at mid-off.
Did India still win the match?
Yes. India won by five wickets under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method after rain revised the target to 143 in 32 overs, with Virat Kohli scoring 74.
Sources
- Indian Express, “Rohit Sharma falls for first ODI duck in three years against NZ in Auckland”, Nov 4, 2026: https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/rohit-sharma-first-odi-duck-in-three-years-india-vs-new-zealand-auckland-10950002/
- CricTracker, “Rohit Sharma’s first ODI duck in three years at Auckland”, Nov 4, 2026: https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/rohit-sharma-registers-first-odi-duck-in-three-years-against-new-zealand-at-auckland-2136/?amp=1
- Sportskeeda, “‘It is just one of those days’ — Former India spinner downplays Rohit Sharma’s six-ball duck in NZ vs IND 2026 1st ODI”, Nov 4, 2026: https://www.sportskeeda.com/cricket/news-it-just-one-days-former-india-spinner-downplays-rohit-sharma-s-six-ball-duck-nz-vs-ind-2026-1st-odi
