After a long wait, Delhi Capitals (DC) have announced the replacement for England international opening batsman Ben Duckett, who suddenly ruled himself out of the IPL 2026 season just days before the opening match.
As the batsman left the team, DC needed to find a suitable replacement to fill the gap. On 23 April, through an official press release, the IPL reported that the franchise has secured the services of Rehan Ahmed as the replacement for Ben Duckett. Rehan is another cricketer from England, but he is a spinner. Delhi Capitals signed the right-arm leg spinner for a price of Rs 75 lakh.
Delhi Capitals has signed Rehan Ahmed in place of Ben Duckett.
“Delhi Capitals (DC) have selected Rehan Ahmed as the replacement for Ben Duckett for the remaining matches of Tata Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. Right-arm leg spinner Rehan has played 5 Tests, 9 ODIs and 13 T20 matches for England and has taken 49 international wickets. He will join DC for Rs 75 lakh,” the IPL said in an official press release on its website.
In place of the top-order batsman, the franchise has put a full-time spinner on board, which will definitely strengthen the team’s bowling front, especially their spin bowling department, which already has quality spinners in the form of captain Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav.
The announcement came ahead of Delhi Capitals’ next IPL 2026 match against Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday, April 25 at 3.30 pm.
Rehan had performed brilliantly in the 2026 T20 World Cup.
The spinner’s recent stint with the national team was impressive. In the T20 World Cup 2026, the 21-year-old spinner played only one match for England, where he claimed a brace at an economy rate of 9.33, helping his team defeat New Zealand.
Ben Duckett’s decision to ignore IPL 2026 came as a surprise to cricket fans and was a big blow to the franchise (Delhi Capitals).
The opening batsman decided to skip the tournament in a bid to revive his international career, which had suffered a significant hit in the previous edition of the Ashes tour. His recent form with the England national cricket team was not so impressive, and he even got himself involved in a controversial moment.
Ben Duckett explains why he decided to cancel Delhi Capitals contract by making a last minute call
It was a very difficult decision and I want to apologize to everyone in Delhi that I will not be coming. “When I put myself in the auction I thought it would be a great opportunity and for a franchise like Delhi to pick me was amazing,” Duckett told The Telegraph.
He further said in the interview, “I am desperate to play for England in all three formats for as long as possible. I hope this is a decision that I will look back on ten years from now as an important moment in my career and the right decision. I will do everything I can to be ready for England.”
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