What is a King Pair in Test cricket? A rare and undesirable feat

The King Pair is one of the infrequent and humiliating records set in Test cricket. A King Pair happens when a hitter is removed for a golden duck (first-ball duck) in both innings of a Test match, but a standard duck, which is scoring zero, is a bad time for any batter. For once, it’s acceptable to be dismissed without scoring a run, but for any batter, getting out on the opening pitch of both innings is one of the worst nightmares. The unwanted record is embarrassing and uncommon.

Remarkably, only 25 players have ever recorded a King Pair in the more than 2,500 Test matches played since the sport’s inception in 1877. When England’s William Attewell was out on the first ball in both innings against Australia in Sydney in 1892, he became the first cricketer to experience this destiny.

In Test cricket, Indian players use the King Pair.

On several occasions, the Indian squad, which is renowned for producing elite hitters, has also witnessed it occur with their players. Only three players of the 317 cricketers who have played for India in this format have ever suffered a King Pair. Legendary leg-spinner Bhagwat Chandrasekhar recorded the first one in 1977 while playing Australia.

The next was Ajit Agarkar, a former pace bowling all-rounder and current national team chief selector who recorded a King Pair against Australia in 1999 in Melbourne. Interestingly, 22 years ago, Chandrasekhar achieved the same thing against the same resistance and on the same ground. Legendary opener Virender Sehwag, who played against England at Edgbaston, Birmingham, in 2011, was the last to be added to the list.

Travis Head is the most recent addition to the King Pair list.

The most recent addition to this list of 25 players with a King pair is Australia’s Travis Head, a batter. Despite losing to a golden duck in both innings, the southpaw garnered attention in 2024 when he recorded a King Pair against the West Indies at The Gabba. In the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, he famously came to the same location months later and hammered India with 152 runs. He became the first cricket player in history to score a Test century and a King Pair at the same location in the same year with this tonne.

Players on this list have recorded a King Pair in Test cricket.