This Englishman turned out to be a 'cheater', gave a blow to Delhi Capitals at the last moment, BCCI will punish!

New Delhi. Just four days before the start of IPL 2026, Delhi Capitals has suffered a major setback. England's opening batsman Ben Duckett has suddenly withdrawn his name from the tournament. Duckett informed about his decision citing his focus on international cricket. Duckett was bought by Delhi Capitals at a base price of Rs 2 crore. Duckett will have to face the consequences of his decision taken at the last moment. Actually, it is almost certain that this English cricketer will be banned for two years by the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

Duckett wrote on his Instagram account, 'I have taken a very difficult decision to withdraw from IPL. I have thought about this a lot. This was not an easy decision. It has been my childhood dream to represent England. I want to give my all to English cricket. To do this, I have to ensure that I am in my best shape physically and mentally before the summer.

Duckett further said, 'I would like to apologize wholeheartedly to all the people present in Delhi. I was really excited about the opportunity to represent this franchise. I completely understand how much time and planning goes into building a team. I apologize for any inconvenience caused by this decision of mine. I would also like to apologize to all the fans, because I know how much this means to everyone in Delhi.

Will be banned for two years
Due to withdrawal of name just before the start of the tournament, it is almost certain that Duckett will be banned for two seasons. Actually, the IPL Governing Council had made a new rule in 2024. According to this, if any foreign player withdraws his name at the last moment without any solid reason after being selected in the auction, then he will be excluded from IPL and auction for the next two years. This is not the first time that a player has decided to withdraw his name. Earlier, England's Harry Brook had also been banned for two years under the same rule. Interestingly, Harry Brook was also bought by Delhi Capitals when he withdrew his name at the last moment.

Ben Duckett has scored 3,555 runs in 43 Test matches at the international level with 6 centuries and 16 half-centuries. Apart from this, he has scored 1,345 runs in 34 ODI matches with 3 centuries and 9 half-centuries. Duckett has scored 527 runs in 21 T20 matches. This right-handed player has also appeared in Pakistan Super League along with Big Bash League.