Unbreakable Record: Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, Steve Smith, and MS Dhoni fail to break this historic milestone in the last 30 years

New Delhi: In the world of cricket, there are some records that seem nearly impossible to break. One such record is for the most runs scored in One Day International (ODI) matches without getting out for a duck. This remarkable record belongs to Kepler Wessels, who represented two different countries during his 11-year career. Wessels played in 109 ODI matches and impressively never got out for a duck.

Kepler Wessels’ Unique Achievement
In the 1970s and 1980s, South Africa was banned from international cricket due to apartheid. As a result, many South African players migrated to countries like Australia or England. Kepler Wessels was one of them. He moved to Australia and played his first ODI match in 1983. Wessels performed exceptionally well, and from 1983 to 1985, he was a regular member of the Australian team. He was dropped in 1985, but when the ban on South Africa was lifted, Wessels returned to play for his country.

Wessels’ International Career with South Africa
Kepler Wessels began playing for South Africa in 1991 and became the team’s captain. By the time he retired in 1994, he had played 109 ODI matches. In these 105 innings, he scored 3,367 runs at an average of 34.35, including one century and 26 half-centuries. However, it is his record of never being out for a duck that remains one of the most remarkable aspects of his career.

The Unbeaten Record
Apart from Kepler Wessels, no other batter in the world has scored 2,000 runs in ODIs without getting out for a duck. The closest to this record is New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell, who has scored 1,651 runs in 37 innings across 42 ODIs without being dismissed for a duck. It remains to be seen whether Mitchell can break the legendary Wessels’ record.

Indian Record Holder
Among Indian batters, the record for the most runs without being out for a duck is held by Yashpal Sharma. He scored 883 runs in 42 matches without being dismissed for zero. Sharma ranks ninth on the list of batters with the most runs without a duck in ODIs.