After a long wait, the Delhi Capitals (DC) have announced the replacement of Ben Duckett, the England international opener who suddenly pulled himself out from the IPL 2026 season, a few days before its opening match.
As the batter left the team, DC needed to find a suitable replacement to fill the gap. On April 23, through an official press release, the IPL informed that the franchise has secured the service of Rehan Ahmed as a replacement for Ben Duckett. Rehan is another cricketer from England, but he is a spinner. The Delhi Capitals signed the right-arm leg-spinner for a price of INR 75 Lakh.
Delhi Capitals signed Rehan Ahmed in place of Ben Duckett
“Delhi Capitals (DC) have picked Rehan Ahmed as a replacement for Ben Duckett for the remainder of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. Rehan, a right-arm leg-spinner, has played 5 Tests, 9 ODIs, and 13 T20Is for England and has scalped 49 international wickets. He will join DC for INR 75 Lakh,” IPL stated in an official press release on their website.
In place of a top-order batter, the franchise has put a full-time spinner on board, which will definitely bolster the team’s bowling front, especially their spin bowling department, which already has the quality spinners in the form of the skipper Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav.
The announcement came ahead of Delhi’s next IPL 2026 match, which will be against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) at 3.30 PM on Saturday, April 25, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Rehan was impressive 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 for a 9.33 economy rate, which helped his side defeat New Zealand.
Ben Duckett’s decision to snub the IPL 2026 came as a surprise to cricket fans and served as a major blow to the franchise (Delhi Capitals).
The opener’s decision to skip the tournament to revive his international career, which had faced 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 involved himself in off-the filed controversial moment as well.
Ben Duckett explained why he decided to snub the Delhi Capitals contract in a last-minute call
It was a very difficult decision, and I want to apologise to everyone in 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,” Duckett told the Telegraph.
“I’m desperate to play all three formats for England for as long as I can. This is a decision I hope I will look back on in ten years and see as a pivotal moment in my career, and the right decision. I will be doing everything I can to be ready for England,” he added further in the interview.
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