England batter Ben Duckett has pulled out of the Indian Premier League 2026, informing Delhi Capitals of his decision on Tuesday.Duckett, who was bought for Rs 2 crore at the auction, was in contention to open the batting alongside KL Rahul. However, he has decided not to take part in the season.His withdrawal could lead to a ban until the 2029 edition. This would mean he cannot enter the next two player auctions and will not be eligible to play in IPL 2027 and 2028.
In a statement shared on Instagram, Duckett explained his decision.“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,” he wrote.“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.”The decision comes after Duckett’s recent Ashes campaign, where he scored 202 runs in 10 innings at an average of 20.20.