Delhi Capitals opener Ben Duckett has decided to pull out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. The England batter was picked up for INR 2 crore in the auction and was expected to open the innings alongside KL Rahul.
Why Duckett pulled out of the IPL 2026?
Ahead of the tournament, Duckett confirmed that he won’t be part of the season. He said his main focus now is on performing well for England. Speaking about his decision, Duckett admitted it was not an easy call and apologised to the Delhi Capitals setup.
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“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.
Will Duckett feature in IPL again?
He also said he is not sure if he will get another chance to play in the IPL, especially at his current age.
“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.
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Why Ben Duckett will be banned from IPL for two years?
As per the rules tweaked before of IPL 2025, overseas players who pull out of the tournament after being picked in the auction will face a two-year ban if they do not have a legitimate reason for doing so.
The only exception, as per the IPL Governing Council, is for any injury or a medical condition that needs to be confirmed by the player’s home board.
In a document shared with franchises listing the retention rules, the IPL said "Any [overseas] player who registers for [an] auction and, after getting picked at the auction, makes himself unavailable before the start of the season will get banned from participating in the IPL/IPL auction for two seasons." The only exception, the governing council said, will be for "an injury/medical condition, which will have to be confirmed by the [player's] home board".
DC's last IPL performance
Delhi Capitals had a mixed season last year, finishing fifth with seven wins in 14 matches and just missing out on the playoffs. The team is still chasing its first IPL title and will be hoping to change that this season.
DC's schedule for IPL 2026
Delhi Capitals are set to launch their IPL 2026 campaign with a challenging away fixture against the Lucknow Super Giants. The two teams will go head-to-head on April 1 at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow. Following this season opener, DC will return to their home turf at the Arun Jaitley Stadium for consecutive matches against the Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans, before heading south to face the Chennai Super Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.