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The 59th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025<\/strong><\/a> season is witnessing a high-pressure encounter between Punjab Kings (PBKS)<\/strong> and Rajasthan Royals (RR)<\/strong> at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. For Rajasthan, the fixture carried little weight in terms of qualification, as they had already been knocked out of the playoff race. However, for Punjab, it was a must-win match to stay in the coveted playoff berth.<\/p>\n Punjab captain Shreyas Iyer<\/strong> won the toss and opted to bat first on what looked like a dry, hard Jaipur surface. The big pre-match buzz centered around the debut of Australian domestic batting sensation Mitchell Owen<\/strong><\/a>, who was handed his first IPL cap. Owen had replaced Glenn Maxwell<\/strong> in the PBKS squad, and his inclusion raised eyebrows and expectations. His performances in the recently concluded Big Bash League (BBL)<\/strong> had turned heads.<\/p>\n Despite the optimism surrounding his selection, Owen\u2019s IPL debut turned into a bitter disappointment. Coming in with hopes of repeating his BBL heroics, the right-hander was dismissed for a duck on just his second ball. Facing Kwena Maphaka<\/strong>, Owen attempted to take on a back-of-length delivery angled across him, trying to hit it down the ground. Instead, he got a top edge that soared high into the Jaipur sky before Sanju Samson<\/strong> safely completed the catch. It was a crushing moment not only for Owen but for PBKS, as the highly anticipated debut was over before it even began.<\/p>\n Also READ: <\/strong>IPL 2025: Sanju Samson or Vaibhav Suryavanshi? Rajasthan Royals skipper gives clarity regarding opening against Punjab Kings<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Owen had ended the BBL 14 season as the highest run-scorer and was instrumental in Hobart Hurricanes<\/strong>\u2019 maiden title win, especially in the final where his explosive century against Sydney Thunder<\/strong> became an instant classic. But his dismissal for a duck not only deflated expectations but also triggered a wave of trolling on social media, with many mocking his inability to deliver on the big stage.\u00a0 Memes and sarcastic posts flooded platforms like X (formerly Twitter) mocking his golden duck and labeling him \u2018BBL fraud,\u201d.\u00a0 Many pointed out the irony of his record-breaking BBL form falling flat in his very first IPL outing.<\/p>\n Mitch Owen replaced Maxi. He is also playing exactly like him. 0(2) and a day quite different from the BBL Final<\/p>\n \u2014 Kartik Kannan (@kartik_kannan) May 18, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n BBL frauds like Michael Owen playing in IPL what has happened to our beautiful league \ud83d\ude2d\ud83d\ude2d??<\/p>\n \u2014 Cricket\ud83c\udfcf Lover \/\/ ICT Fan Account (@CricCrazyV) May 18, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Mitch Owen goes for 0. I have noticed that BBL stars have always failed in IPL.<\/p>\n \u2014 abhishek (@agneeastra) May 18, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Mitchell Owen getting cooked all over the world after that Big Bash Final lol<\/p>\n \u2014 Yash\ud83d\ude0a\ud83c\udfcf (@YashR066) May 18, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Mitchell Owen duck, The standards of both these leagues\ud83d\ude02\ud83d\ude02<\/p>\n \u2014 chukandar#269\ud83e\udd40 (@kyabataubhai) May 18, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Why does the players who perform in bbl fails in IPL last time also Short came as a replacement and failed and this time Owen #RRvsPBKS<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Yuvraj Singh (@YuvrajSingh_1_) May 18, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Mitchell Owen : \u2014 Duck Academy (@Academyofducks) May 18, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n BBL Fraud “Owen” got short Circuited \ud83d\ude2d\ud83d\ude2d\ud83d\ude2d<\/p>\n \u2014 Utsav Arora (@JB93_RO45_SKY63) May 18, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Mitchell Owen goes for a two-ball duck on his IPL debut!\ud83e\udd86\ud83e\udd86#RRvsPBKS<\/a> #TanviTheGreatAtCannes<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/SAEMEbSN0Z<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Cricket With RS (@badkebhai) May 18, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Mitch Owen not with the most memorable IPL debut\u2026 two ball duck for the Tazzy boy<\/p>\n \u2014 Ammar (@Ammarzaheer) May 18, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Also READ:\u00a0IPL 2025: Playoffs qualification scenario for RCB after washed out game against KKR<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nBBL hero Mitchell Owen\u2019s IPL debut ends in a duck for Punjab Kings<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Here\u2019s how fans reacted:<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Mind you he scored a 100 in BBL finals.<\/p>\n\n
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Scored a hundred in BBL final.
Scored a duck in his IPL debut. \ud83e\udd86\u2b50
Duck Academy stood tall. #RRvsPBKS<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/jMZX8QvgPB<\/a><\/p>\n\n
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