Cricket is a sport where a team comprises of batters and bowlers. While the batters score runs, the bowlers along with the fielders aim to get the batters out and reduce their scoring rate. The more the batters score runs, the higher will be the team’s total. The team with more runs wins the match.
The first two batters who come to the crease to open the innings are called openers. Openers have to ensure that the team gets off to a good start by building a solid partnership. The foundation laid down by the openers often proves to be instrumental in deciding the final total of the team.
A batter who gets out without scoring a run is said to be out on a duck. It is a rare scenario when a batter gets out without facing a ball. In such case, the batter is out on a ‘diamond duck’. However, when this happens to a non-striker on the very first ball of the innings, it is called a titanium duck.
A titanium duck is an extremely uncommon event in international cricket. Openers usually have a fair sense of understanding between them in terms of running between the wickets. Moreover, the possibility of a mankad is also minimal as openers at the non-striker’s end rarely leave their crease before the bowler releases the ball at the start of the innings.
The only way a titanium duck can be witnessed is when the non-striker is run out on the very first ball of the innings. The run out can either be done by a fielder or the bowler. In some regions, the titanium duck is also called a ruby duck in club cricket.
