Ben Duckett has become one of the defining faces of England’s aggressive, fearless approach to Test cricket under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum. He closed out the 2023-25 World Test Championship cycle with 1,470 runs in 41 innings at an average of 36.75.
He struck eight fifties and two centuries at an impressive strike rate of 84.33 while playing at the top, which contributed to England’s “Bazball” approach in Test cricket, typically played with care and caution.
But since the 2025 summer, Duckett struggled to get going across all three formats. The flamboyant left-handed opening batter could only notch up one half-century in 16 innings, even when the ball colour changed. Then the forgettable Ashes came along, and once that was done and dusted,
the southpaw became the punching bag for cricket fans (read: trolls) residing in India.
Here’s why Ben Duckett can’t catch a break from disgruntled followers of the Indian Premier League (IPL) who love to troll the English cricketer:
Ashes And Drinking
Australia walloped England 4-1 in the 2025–26 Ashes series, wherein the travelling team registered their sole win in the fourth Test at Melbourne. Mimicking his team’s woes, Duckett had an awful run with the bat, mustering 202 runs in 5 Tests. It’s worth reminding that despite the dry spell, his quickfire 34 runs from 26 balls during the run chase of 175 in the second innings of the fourth Ashes Test against Australia set up the perfect foundation for the Poms to put pressure on the hosts and secure their first Test win in Australia since January 2011. Their only win in the 2025–26 Ashes series.
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But with a batting average of 20.20 across 10 Test innings and a top score of 42, the English batter feared losing a spot in the playing XI.
However, even before the conclusion of the one-sided Ashes series, an embarrassing video of Duckett allegedly drunk surfaced on social media. In the video the England opener was purportedly slurring, likely drunk, asking locals to get back home. The video only added to the intense backlash the England side was already facing as allegations of them partying in a resort town in Queensland emerged after they lost the second Test of the 2025-26 Ashes.
Ben Duckett Says No To IPL
Realising that a lengthy travel plan to India for the IPL 2026 could perhaps hamper his Test career and possibly cost him a place in the squad, Duckett decided to ditch a Rs 2 crore signing with Delhi Capitals at the last minute to focus on his national duties, leaving the franchise scrambling for a replacement.
He promptly apologised to the franchise and the fans for pulling out of the cricket carnival, citing personal and professional reasons that impacted his decision to give the season a miss.
“It was a very difficult decision, and I want to apologise to everyone at Delhi that I won’t be coming,” Duckett told Telegraph Sport. “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.”
A disappointing Ashes series and then finding himself out of contention during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup had influenced his decision to miss the IPL.
Already banned from IPL 2027 and IPL 2028, the explosive batter believed that at 31, it was perhaps a potential goodbye to IPL, having never played it before.
The news of Duckett backing out wasn’t received well in this part of the world.
Also Read: Why Is Ben Duckett Facing Heavy Criticism From IPL And Delhi Capitals Fans?
How Has Duckett Fared In Tests Since Ashes Debacle?
England returned to Test cricket after the Ashes humiliation to play a three-match series against New Zealand at home. Having won the first encounter comprehensively at Lord’s by 115 runs, England lead the series 1-0 with the second Test currently underway at The Oval.
Despite producing quick starts, Duckett failed to convert them into big innings. The opener scored 19 and 33 in the first Test. He followed it up with a quickfire 36 before being run out in the first innings of the second Test at The Oval.
The snide remarks swiftly returned, suggesting that a section of IPL viewers, assumedly Delhi Capitals fans, were still not over him bunking India’s franchise tournament.
I won't play IPL to focus on tests sar 🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/XRWGERKTmr
— AdityaRRaj (@RR_for_LIFE) June 18, 2026
Duckett has played 44 Tests and appeared in 82 innings. He has 3126 runs in his tally with 6 centuries and 16 fifties at an average of 39.56. His strike rate remains north of 85.
