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Delhi Capitals Sign Rehan Ahmed as Ben Duckett Replacement in IPL 2026

Delhi Capitals have signed England leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed as a replacement for Ben Duckett for the remainder of IPL 2026. Rehan Ahmed, who has 49 international wickets, will join the franchise for Rs 75 Lakh. Ben Duckett withdrew from the tournament to focus on being physically and mentally ready for England's home summer schedule. Duckett apologized to Delhi Capitals and their fans for the disruption caused by his decision.

Key Points: DC Signs Rehan Ahmed to Replace Ben Duckett in IPL 2026

  • Delhi Capitals sign Rehan Ahmed as replacement for Ben Duckett
  • Rehan Ahmed is a right-arm leg-spinner with 49 international wickets
  • Ben Duckett withdraws to focus on England's home summer
  • Duckett apologizes to DC and fans for disruption
2 min read

IPL 2026: Delhi Capitals sign Rehan Ahmed as replacement for Ben Duckett

Delhi Capitals pick England leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed for Rs 75 Lakh as Ben Duckett withdraws from IPL 2026 citing mental and physical readiness.

"I have made the extremely difficult decision to withdraw from the IPL. - Ben Duckett"

New Delhi, April 23

Delhi Capitals have picked England's leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed as a replacement for Ben Duckett for the remainder of Indian Premier League 2026 on Thursday.

Rehan, a right-arm leg-spinner, has played five Tests, nine ODIs and 13 T20Is for England and has scalped 49 international wickets. He will join Delhi Capitals for Rs 75 Lakh, according to the IPL statement.

On March, England batter Ben Duckett has withdrawn from his Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 contract with Delhi Capitals (DC) to ensure that he is "in best possible place physically and mentally" ahead of England's home summer schedule.

Duckett, who has never played in the IPL, was bought for Rs 2 crore at IPL 2026 auction in December last year.

He decided to withdraw from the tournament and will instead prepare for England's home summer, which includes three Tests against New Zealand in June and then three Tests against Pakistan in August-September. England are also going to host India for five T20Is and three ODIs in July.

Post on his Instagram story, Ben Duckett said he made the difficult decision to withdraw from the IPL to focus on being physically and mentally ready to give his best for England's home summer fixtures.

"I have made the extremely difficult decision to withdraw from the IPL. I have given this a lot of thought and it has not been an easy choice. Representing England is something I have dreamed of since I was a child, and I want to give everything I can to English cricket. To do that, I need to ensure I am in the best possible place physically and mentally ahead of the summer," he said.

Ben Duckett apologised to Delhi Capitals and their fans for any disruption caused by his withdrawal, expressing regret for not being able to represent the franchise despite his excitement for the opportunity.

"I would like to sincerely apologise to everyone at Delhi. I was genuinely very excited about the opportunity to represent the franchise, and I fully appreciate the time and planning that goes into building a squad. I am sorry for any disruption my decision may cause. I would also like to apologise to all the fans as I know how much it means to everyone in Delhi," Duckett said.

The Capitals will next face unbeaten Punjab Kings at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on April 25.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Typical England player prioritizing national duty over IPL. I get it, it's his dream to play for England, but it leaves DC in a lurch. At least Rehan is a like-for-like replacement? Not really — Duckett is a batter, Ahmed is a spinner. They should have gone for a replacement batter. 🤷‍♀️
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Vikram M
Rehan Ahmed is a talented spinner who has done well in international cricket. But DC already have Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel. Why add another spinner when you lost a batter? Poor planning by the management. They should have gone for a foreign all-rounder or a specialist batter.
S
Sarah B
From an international perspective, it's refreshing to see a player prioritize mental health and national duty over money. Duckett's decision is commendable. But from a DC fan's view, it's frustrating. Hope Rehan steps up and proves his worth. The IPL is a great platform for young talent.
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Rohit P
Rs 75 Lakh for Rehan Ahmed is good value. He's got a lot of variations and can be a match-winner on turning tracks. But the real question is: will he even play? With Kuldeep and Axar as first-choice spinners, Rehan might end up on the bench. DC should have been smarter with this replacement.

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