Ben Duckett Convicted, Fined For Criminal Offence After IPL Withdrawal

Ben Duckett convicted for crime after withdrawing from IPL 2026 [Source AFP]

England batter Ben Duckett committed a legal offence just weeks after withdrawing from the IPL 2026. Duckett has been convicted of the charges and will face action soon.

Duckett, 31, is a top-order batter who has played nearly 100 international games for England. However, apart from his on-field heroics, he often finds himself in hot water due to off-field antics.

Ben Duckett convicted for violating road safety protocols

According to English media, Ben Duckett was charged with overspeeding after he was caught driving at 93 mph in a 70 mph zone on the A50 near Stoke in August 2025.  

The offence was recorded by Staffordshire Police using a speed gun, and because the speed was significantly above the limit, the case was taken to court instead of being settled with a simple fine.

Duckett pleaded guilty through the UK’s Single Justice Procedure, where cases are handled without a full court hearing.

At Cannock Magistrates’ Court, the England cricketer was given a £700 fine, 4 penalty points on his driving licence, £120 court costs and £280 victim surcharge. So in total, he has to pay £1,100.

Interestingly, Ben Duckett also faced such a harsh penalty because this isn’t an isolated incident. In 2015, he was banned for a year after getting involved in a drink-driving crash.

In 2017, Duckett was sent home from the Ashes tour after he poured a drink on fellow teammate James Anderson. Also, most recently, the English batter was found in a drunk state on the road during England’s Noosa break during the Ashes tour.

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Ben Duckett can’t escape controversies

Apart from this, Ben Duckett may face action for ditching IPL 2026 at the very last moment. He was signed for INR 2 crore during the auction by the Delhi Capitals. 

However, Duckett pulled out of the tournament to focus on county cricket and reclaim his England Test spot. He had a poor Ashes series where he scored around 200 runs at an average of 20, putting his place under threat.

But pulling out of IPL 2026 will come with its own set of consequences. Ben Duckett could face a 2-year or even up to a 3-year ban from IPL and future auctions, as the league has strict policies for last-minute withdrawals. He will also lose his IPL contract money.

DC, meanwhile, are yet to sign a replacement for Ben Duckett. According to social media chatter, Jake Fraser McGurk could be in line to take Duckett’s place at DC, as he previously played for the franchise before getting unsold in the 2026 auction.

DC to begin IPL 2026 campaign against LSG

Meanwhile, Delhi Capitals will play the first match of IPL 2026 against LSG on April 1st at the Ekanda Stadium in Lucknow.

Axar Patel will continue as captain, while KL Rahul will open. Nitish Rana and David Miller are a few notable additions to this year’s squad.

Mitchell Starc is, however, unavailable as Cricket Australia is prioritising his workload ahead of a busy summer season.

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