IPL 2026 Controversy: Sunil Gavaskar Slams Ben Duckett’s Last-Minute Withdrawal, Says ‘Two-Year Ban Not Enough, Urges BCCI For Tougher Punishment

Former India batter Sunil Gavaskar has given a bold statement on the players opting out of Indian Premier League after the auction and has urged the BCCI to take strict actions rather than the two-year ban. 

“It is a tough one. Clearly, Ben Duckett had a very good Ashes series, and if he had not been bought for the amount he was at The Hundred auction, maybe things would have been different. One can understand that, having been bought at a very good price in The Hundred, he was probably quite happy to miss this and say he wants to focus on his England Test career,” Gavaskar said on India Today.

“But yes, what should be done is something for the BCCI to think about as well, because a two-year ban is obviously not working. You have to look at something that will have an impact. As long as it’s not having an impact on the player and his chances of coming back to the IPL, it won’t work,” he added.

Ben Duckett Opts Out of IPL 2026

England batter Ben Duckett had decided to give a miss to IPL 2026 despite being brought for INR 2 Cr by Delhi Capitals. He was expected to open the innings with KL Rahul in this season. 

Duckett chose to pull out of the tournament to focus on his international commitments with England. The announcement, made just days before the start of the IPL.

DC’s Batting Unit

Delhi Capitals have some very prominent names in the line up. KL Rahul will be opening the innings while they have aggressive Sri Lankan batter Pathum Nissanka, Prithvi Shaw, David Miller, Ashutosh Sharma, Abhishek Porel, Tristan Stubbs and Axar Patel in the ranks. 

While Nissanka could be a good option to open, Shaw is another batter who can start the innings if the management goes with an Indian player. Abhishek Porel is another batter who makes a strong case up the order. David Miller, Ashutosh Sharma, Axar Patel and Tristan Stubbs form a good middle order who can go all guns blazing. 

DC Begin Campaign vs LSG

Delhi Capitals will start the IPL 2026 campaign against Lucknow Super Giants on April 1 in Lucknow. LSG will be led by Rishabh Pant who has earlier captained DC while KL Rahul was earlier the skipper of LSG will be playing for the Capitals. 

Also Read: FACT CHECK: No Fans to Full Stands? PSL 2026 Crowd Return Likely From Next Week — What We Know So Far | Details Inside