New Delhi: Delhi Capitals (DC) have signed England’s spin-bowling all-rounder Rehan Ahmed as a replacement for Ben Duckett for the IPL 2026. He will join the DC squad for Rs 75 lakh. This will be Rehan’s maiden IPL stint, and will boost DC’s spin attack.
The Delhi-based franchise already has captain Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Vipraj Nigam and offspinner Tripurana Vijay in their squad. Duckett withdrew from his IPL deal last month, in a bid to rediscover his Test form, and save his career in the longest format after a poor Ashes Test series.
He is likely to face a two-year ban from the IPL after pulling out of his contract. His England team-mate Harry Brook is serving a similar ban after pulling out of his IPL deal just before the start of the 2025 season. Brook was also signed by the DC.
Rehan performed brilliantly in the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2026. He picked up two wickets and scored an unbeaten 19 runs to help England beat New Zealand on a tricky R Premadasa surface. He has taken 23 wickets in 25 innings at an economy rate of 7.68 in the Hundred, and has featured in Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL) and the UAE’s ILT20.
Overall, Rehan has picked up 85 wickets at an economy rate of 8.13 and has also scored 1071 runs at a strike rate of just under 126 in 97 T20s.
“The Delhi Capitals are thrilled to announce the signing of young England sensation Rehan Ahmed for the remainder of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. The 21-year-old leg-spinning all-rounder joins the DC family as a replacement for opening batter Ben Duckett,” Delhi Capitals said in a statement.
Mitchell Starc cleared to play in IPL 2026
The Capitals also received a massive boost as fast bowler Mitchell Starc is set to join the squad, and is likely to be available for selection for their clash against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) on May 1.
Starc missed the initial IPL matches due to shoulder and elbow injuries sustained during the Australian summer. He played all five Ashes Test matches and helped Australia to beat England 4-1.