‘BBL fraud’: Fans show no mercy as Mitchell Owen’s IPL debut ends in disappointment during RR vs PBKS clash

The 59th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season is witnessing a high-pressure encounter between Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) 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.

BBL hero Mitchell Owen’s IPL debut ends in a duck for Punjab Kings

Punjab captain Shreyas Iyer 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, who was handed his first IPL cap. Owen had replaced Glenn Maxwell in the PBKS squad, and his inclusion raised eyebrows and expectations. His performances in the recently concluded Big Bash League (BBL) had turned heads.

Despite the optimism surrounding his selection, Owen’s 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, 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 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.

Also READ: IPL 2025: Sanju Samson or Vaibhav Suryavanshi? Rajasthan Royals skipper gives clarity regarding opening against Punjab Kings

Owen had ended the BBL 14 season as the highest run-scorer and was instrumental in Hobart Hurricanes’ maiden title win, especially in the final where his explosive century against Sydney Thunder 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. Memes and sarcastic posts flooded platforms like X (formerly Twitter) mocking his golden duck and labeling him ‘BBL fraud,”. Many pointed out the irony of his record-breaking BBL form falling flat in his very first IPL outing.

Here’s how fans reacted:

Mitch Owen replaced Maxi. He is also playing exactly like him. 0(2) and a day quite different from the BBL Final
— Kartik Kannan (@kartik_kannan) May 18, 2025

BBL frauds like Michael Owen playing in IPL what has happened to our beautiful league 😭😭??
— Cricket🏏 Lover // ICT Fan Account (@CricCrazyV) May 18, 2025

Mitch Owen goes for 0. I have noticed that BBL stars have always failed in IPL.
— abhishek (@agneeastra) May 18, 2025

Mitchell Owen getting cooked all over the world after that Big Bash Final lol
— Yash😊🏏 (@YashR066) May 18, 2025

Mitchell Owen duck,
Mind you he scored a 100 in BBL finals.
The standards of both these leagues😂😂
— chukandar#269🥀 (@kyabataubhai) May 18, 2025

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
— Yuvraj Singh (@YuvrajSingh_1_) May 18, 2025

Mitchell Owen :
Scored a hundred in BBL final.
Scored a duck in his IPL debut. 🦆⭐
Duck Academy stood tall. #RRvsPBKS pic.twitter.com/jMZX8QvgPB
— Duck Academy (@Academyofducks) May 18, 2025

BBL Fraud “Owen” got short Circuited 😭😭😭
— Utsav Arora (@JB93_RO45_SKY63) May 18, 2025

Mitchell Owen goes for a two-ball duck on his IPL debut!🦆🦆#RRvsPBKS #TanviTheGreatAtCannes pic.twitter.com/SAEMEbSN0Z
— Cricket With RS (@badkebhai) May 18, 2025