Ben Duckett's late withdrawal from the 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has left fans and the Delhi Capitals camp disappointed ahead of the new season. The England opening batsman, who was bought by the Delhi-based franchise for Rs 2 crore in the auction, was expected to form a solid opening pair with KL Rahul in the upcoming season of the marquee T20 league.
However, just days before the tournament began, Duckett pulled out of the competition to prioritize his international commitments with England, dealing a blow to Delhi's preparations.
Reacting to this development, former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar did not shy away from his criticism. The experienced player believes that frequent last-minute withdrawals by foreign players remains a matter of concern and has urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to rethink its policies.
“It's a tough one. Obviously, Ben Duckett had a very good Ashes series and if he had not been bought for that amount in the auction for The Hundred, perhaps things would have been different. One can understand that, having been bought at a very good price in The Hundred, he was probably quite happy to miss it and said he wanted to focus on his England Test career,” Gavaskar was quoted as saying by NDTV Sports.
He further added, “But yes, what should be done is something that the BCCI will also have to think about because the two-year ban is clearly not working. You have to look at something that will have an impact. Unless it impacts the player and his chances of coming back to the IPL, it will not work.”
For those unaware, the BCCI currently enforces a rule that imposes a two-year ban on foreign players who withdraw from the IPL at the last minute, barring them from both participation and future auctions during that period.
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