England opening batter Ben Duckett has withdrawn from the upcoming 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) season to focus on his international career. The left-hander, who had been acquired by Delhi Capitals for Rs 2 crore at the 2025 auction, described the decision as “difficult” but said it was the right choice for his career.

Duckett’s withdrawal means he will be ineligible to play in the tournament until 2029. The BCCI had announced ahead of IPL 2025 that any player who opts out after being bought at the auction without a legitimate reason would face a two-season ban.

“It was a very difficult decision, and I want to apologise to everyone at 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. I was buzzing. It’s the best competition in the world with the best players, and would have been an amazing experience.”

“I don’t know if I’m potentially saying goodbye to the IPL, having never played in it. With the age I am now [31], it might be tough for me, but I hope one day I’m able to represent Delhi. But I’ve thought a lot about this, and know it’s the right decision for my career,” Duckett told The Telegraph.

Duckett is not the first England player to pull out of the IPL after being auctioned. England white-ball captain Harry Brook withdrew ahead of the 2025 edition after being bought by Delhi Capitals for Rs 6.25 crore in the 2024 auction, resulting in a two-season ban.

Duckett’s exit opens the door for either Pathum Nissanka or Prithvi Shaw to partner KL Rahul at the top of the Delhi Capitals’ batting order in the upcoming season.

The left-hander said that not playing the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka lit a fire within him and the last 12 months had been a big learning curve for him.

“Not playing in the World Cup, and being on the sidelines in India after such a tough Ashes series was a struggle for me. But it’s lit a massive fire in my belly moving forward. I don’t know where I stand, or what is to come.”

“I’ve learnt a lot in the last year. Going from how I was being spoken about during the India series [last summer], to how I am spoken about now. That’s a ridiculously big dip. It’s not just what I’ve learnt from my failures this winter, but what I’ve learnt if and when I am playing my best again, all that noise and how to manage it. Some of the failures might have come with the expectations I had after the India Test series, being on top of the world. I put a lot of expectation on myself. I will learn from both sides of it,” he said.

The left-hander reiterated that his upcoming focus was on playing four-day cricket for Nottinghamshire and returning to form.