England batter and Delhi Capitals player Ben Duckett has withdrawn from IPL 2026 to be “in best possible place physically and mentally” ready for England.
Duckett was yet to make his IPL debut and was bought by DC for Rs 2 crore at the IPL 2026 auction in December last year. He has withdrawn from the tournament to focus on England’s home summer, which comprises of three Test against New Zealand in June and then three Tests against Pakistan in August-September, followed by five T20Is and three ODIs when India tour England in July.
In an Instagram story, Duckett said it was a difficult decision to withdraw from IPL and said: “I have made the extremely difficult decision to withdraw from the IPL. I have given this a lot of thought and it has not been an easy choice. Representing England is something I have dreamed of since I was a child, and I want to give everything I can to English cricket. To do that, I need to ensure I am in the best possible place physically and mentally ahead of the summer.”
Duckett also apologised to Delhi Capitals and their fans for any disruption caused by his withdrawal.
“I would like to sincerely apologise to everyone at Delhi. I was genuinely very excited about the opportunity to represent the franchise, and I fully appreciate the time and planning that goes into building a squad. I am sorry for any disruption my decision may cause. I would also like to apologise to all the fans as I know how much it means to everyone in Delhi,” Duckett said.
