Ben Duckett in trouble? Sunil Gavaskar pushes BCCI for tougher punishment

England batter Ben Duckett has found himself in big trouble as the Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar demanded the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) bring in tougher punishment for players who pull out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the last moment.

The controversy exploded after Ben Duckett pulled out of IPL 2026 just a couple of days before the season began. Delhi Capitals had signed the England opener for INR 2 crore after a poor Ashes 2025-26, where he managed only 202 runs in 10 innings.

Ben Duckett hands a shock to the Delhi Capitals

Duckett was even caught in an embarrassing off-field incident during the Noosa trip, and now he wanted to show his commitment towards England, so he announced he would skip the IPL 2026 to focus on County cricket and the upcoming Test series against New Zealand.

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His decision has automatically placed him under the two-year IPL ban, joining Harry Brook, yet Gavaskar feels even this rule isn’t strict enough and wants the BCCI to introduce far harsher consequences for such moves to keep the tournament’s sovereignty.

Legendary Sunil Gavaskar believes that the current two-year ban rule is no longer enough, especially with so many big overseas names backing out after being picked in the auction.

Sunil Gavaskar demands tougher IPL rules after Ben Duckett pulls out just before the season begins

The IPL has a rule that if an overseas player pulls out after being bought in the auction, he cannot play in the IPL or future auctions for two seasons, unless he has a confirmed injury or a real medical problem.

Sunil Gavaskar was quoted as saying in India Today: “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 added, “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.”

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Sunil Gavaskar calls for real impact penalties

The former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar explained that a good penalty should have a real effect on the game, like the slow over-rate rule where teams lose fielding options if they bowl too slowly. Such penalties make players and bowlers act fast because it directly changes the game.

Gavaskar stressed that the punishment for pulling out must also directly affect the individual player. He signed off by saying, “I think you need some sort of penalty that can have an impact. That has to affect the individual player. So, I don't know how that happens, but it is clearly something the BCCI has to sit down and think about.”