Delhi Capitals have signed England leg spinner Rehan Ahmed as a replacement for Ben Duckett for the remainder of IPL 2026. 21-year-old Rehan Ahmed has joined the franchise for Rs 75 lakh.

Interestingly, the Capitals have opted to strengthen their already strong spin department comprising of Axar Patel, Vipraj Nigam, Kuldeep Yadav and Nitish Rana. While Rehan performs well with the bat, he is primarily known for his effective leg-spin.

Pakistani-origin leg spinner Rehan represents England at the international level. His father, Naeem Ahmed, was a former club cricketer in Pakistan before moving to England in 2001. A right-arm leg spinner, Rehan has played 5 Tests, 9 ODIs and 13 T20Is, taking 49 international wickets.

Overall in T20 cricket, he has taken 85 wickets in 97 matches at an economy rate of 8.13, including four wickets. He is also a useful batsman, having scored 1071 runs at an average of 18.46 and a strike rate of 125.70 with two fifties.

Rehan has featured in several franchise leagues, including The Hundred with Southern Brave and Trent Rockets, the ILT20 with Gulf Giants and the Big Bash League with Hobart Hurricanes.

Ben Duckett withdrew his name IPL

earlier this year, Duckett withdraws from 2026 IPL just four days before the seasonChoosing to focus on England’s upcoming international summer. Signed by the Capitals for Rs 2 crore, Duckett described the decision as difficult but necessary, stressing his long-term commitment to England. He also apologized to the franchise and fans for his late withdrawal.

Duckett wrote, “I have made the extremely difficult decision to withdraw from the IPL. I have given this a lot of thought and this is not an easy choice.”

He said, “Representing England is something I’ve dreamed of since I was a kid and I want to give English cricket everything I can. To do that, I have to make sure I’m in the best possible shape physically and mentally before the summer.”

His withdrawal could lead to a ban under IPL rules, which allow action against players who opt out after being selected in the auction. Due to the injury not being confirmed, the situation may become more complicated, as the rules allow for bans from future editions and auctions in such cases.

A similar controversy arose the previous season when Harry Brook withdrew after being signed, raising concerns over players’ availability and commitment.

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