Published on: Apr 24, 2026 12:07 pm IST|Updated on: Apr 24, 2026 1:03 pm IST
The Delhi Capitals have made a big announcement. They have named their replacement for England’s Ben Duckett, who pulled out of the Tata IPL 2026 ahead of the start of the season. Duckett has been replaced by his English mate, all-rounder Rehan Ahmed.
The announcement came as a surprise for one and all, as Rehan was nowhere near the expected replacements. Replacing a top-order batter with a bowling all-rounder was somewhat unexpected, but this is what the Delhi Capitals management has come up with after over a month of waiting since Duckett pulled out of the season.
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Ben Duckett’s withdrawal from the Tata IPL 2026 came as a surprise to many, especially Delhi Capitals fans who were eager to see him in action. The England batter decided to step away from the tournament to prioritize his international commitments and manage his workload ahead of a demanding home season. With England scheduled to play a packed calendar that includes Tests against New Zealand and Pakistan, as well as limited‑overs series against India, Duckett felt the need to remain fresh both physically and mentally.
His decision was not injury‑related but rather a conscious choice to focus on national duty. Duckett admitted it was a difficult call, acknowledging the disappointment it might cause to the Delhi Capitals and their supporters. However, he emphasized that representing England at the highest level remains his foremost priority.
The timing of his withdrawal, just weeks before the IPL season, left Delhi Capitals scrambling for a replacement. They eventually roped in young leg‑spinner Rehan Ahmed to fill the vacancy. Duckett’s move also raises the possibility of disciplinary action, as IPL rules allow for bans of up to two years for players pulling out without valid injury reasons.
Rehan Ahmed isn’t a familiar name in the IPL circuit, as this is supposed to be his maiden Indian Premier League gig. He comes into the 2020 finalists’ setup for his base price of INR 75 lakh. The 21-year-old burst into the international scene as a right-arm leggie who used to bowl in tandem along with Adil Rashid for England in white-ball cricket.
However, in recent times, Rehan’s batting has gone up several notches both in the domestic and international circuits. He played a pivotal role at the top of the order for Leicestershire, guiding them to the Division Two title in the 2025 County Championship and securing promotion to Division One. His contributions with both bat and ball stood out across the season. With the bat, he amassed 760 runs at an impressive average of 50.66, registering five centuries that underlined his consistency with the bat.
Equally effective with the ball, Rehan claimed 23 wickets at an average of 19, showcasing his all‑round ability and match‑winning impact. His performances not only highlighted his growing stature with the bat and consistency with the ball but also reinforced his reputation as one of the budding talents in English cricket.
With players like Tristan Stubbs, Lungi Ngidi, David Miller, and Mitchell Starc (upon his return), almost irreplaceable as of now, Rehan may have to wait for a while to make his IPL debut for the Delhi Capitals. With Starc set to join the squad before May 1st, he will slot into the eleven straightaway as the second overseas seamer partnering Lungi Ngidi and leading DC’s bowling attack. Starc will most probably replace Pathum Nissanka in the eleven, who has got some starts in this tournament but failed to capitalize on those starts.
The Capitals have had a mixed IPL 2026 so far. They kicked off their season with back-to-back wins over the Lucknow Super Giants and the 5-time champions Mumbai Indians. After the two wins, DC succumbed to back-to-back losses against the 2022 champions Gujarat Titans, and 5-time champions, the Chennai Super Kings. DC then went to Bengaluru to tame the reigning champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, by 6 wickets, but succumbed to Sunrisers Hyderabad in the very next game.
The campaign so far has been inconsistent for the Capitals, and they currently find themselves in the 6th spot with 3 wins and as many losses from six fixtures. Their net-run-rate is also in the negatives, making things even worse for them. They next host the high flyers and undefeated table-toppers, the Punjab Kings, on Saturday afternoon, which is another tough game for the 2020 runners-up. Take a look at DC’s next 3 fixtures.
Tags: IPL 2026