IPL 2026: Delhi Capitals sign Rehan Ahmed to replace Ben Duckett

Delhi Capitals (DC) have signed England's leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed for Rs 75 Lakh as a replacement for Ben Duckett for the remainder of IPL 2026. Duckett withdrew from the tournament to focus on England's home summer schedule.

Delhi Capitals (DC) have picked England's leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed as a replacement for Ben Duckett for the remainder of Indian Premier League (IPL) 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.

Duckett withdraws to focus on England duties

On March, England batter Ben Duckett has withdrawn from his Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 contract with Delhi Capitals (DC) to ensure that he is "in best possible place physically and mentally" ahead of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

'An extremely difficult decision'

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)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)