Ben Duckett withdrew his name from IPL 2026.
Delhi Capitals (DC) batter Ben Duckett has revealed why he opted not to feature in IPL 2026. Duckett pulled out days before the start of the tournament after being sold for his base price of INR 2 crore at the auction and will face a two-year ban.
In an interview with ESPNcricinfo, the southpaw confirmed that the decision not to participate in the competition was his own, and not something forced by the England Cricket Board (ECB). Duckett exclaimed that he wanted to show the intent to prolong his English career, and spurning an IPL contract would help management notice his commitment.
“Now they know I’m not going to the IPL… I’m sure they’ll look at that in a positive way, with how I’m looking forward with my career. It’s nice to have a bit of time at home. Ultimately, for me, it’s pretty black and white – I just want to score runs for Notts, perform to the best of my ability, and whatever is the case moving forward.”
Ben Duckett spent only six days at home between mid-October and the second week of March, having travelled to Australia for the Ashes 2025, then a white-ball rubber and the T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka. Poor performances and warming bench for the full ICC event must have drained him mentally, so with his future in international cricket uncertain, Duckett decided against going to IPL 2026, as he wasn’t getting a big amount either.
A major reason Delhi Capitals bought Ben Duckett for IPL 2026 was the lack of a dynamic top-order batter who could maximise the powerplay without getting stuck against spin. Since 2025, he has had a strike rate of 197.61 and a balls-per-boundary ratio of 2.62 against slow bowlers during field restrictions.
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Additionally, Duckett bought an LHB variety at the top, with useful skills against pace as well. In his absence, Delhi Capitals will need to play Pathum Nissanka with KL Rahul at the top, and both can struggle against spinners early on.
That’s where the English batter would have been more than handy this season and helped DC get rapid starts in the powerplay. The decks in Delhi, and in fact everywhere in IPL, have been out-and-out flat, and he could have got value for his shots while playing through the line.
His focus will now be on reinstating his authority as a Test opener by piling up runs in County Cricket, leading up to the summer, where England will face New Zealand and Pakistan in red-ball format. Only runs can help Ben Duckett now, and after pulling out of IPL, he has no other option but to score big runs in the domestic competition.
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