Delhi Capitals opener Ben Duckett has pulled out of IPL 2026. The England international was bought for INR 2 crore in the auction and was expected to be reckoning for the opening slot alongside KL Rahul. However, with just four days remaining for the tournament, Duckett made it official that he won’t feature in the upcoming season, as his only focus is now to do well for the national team.
“It was a very difficult decision, and I want to apologise to everyone at Delhi that I won’t be coming. I felt it was going to be a great opportunity when I put myself in the auction, and for a franchise like Delhi to pick me up was amazing. I was buzzing. It’s the best competition in the world with the best players, and would have been an amazing experience,” Duckett told Telegraph Sport.
“I don’t know if I’m potentially saying goodbye to the IPL, having never played in it. With the age I am now [31], it might be tough for me, but I hope one day I’m able to represent Delhi. But I’ve thought a lot about this, and know it’s the right decision for my career,” he added.
What led to Duckett making the decision?
Duckett has made just 202 runs in the five matches he has played in the Ashes. He had an extremely rough time with the bat and it was followed by warming the bench during the entire T20 World Cup. Duckett noted that it could be repeated and he might watch the IPL from the bench, which he didn’t want to risk, especially when a Test series against New Zealand in on the horizon.
Delhi, in the meantime, haven’t announced any replacement. However, with the season set to begin in less than a week’s time, an announcement is imminent. In the meantime, the franchise has several opening options such as Pathum Nissanka, Prithvi Shaw and Sahil Parikh.
When it comes to Duckett, he will now suffer a three-year ban, similar to what happened to Harry Brook. BCCI has already made it clear that if any player opts out of IPL without any injury concerns, they shall be punished with the ban.
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