England opener Ben Duckett was awarded with the Player of the Match award for his 62 and 149 at Headingley that helped England chase down the target of 371 set by India in the first Test of the five-match series.
After the hosts lost Zak Crawley early in the first innings, the southpaw ensured that England did not crumble when Jasprit Bumrah wreaked havoc in his opening spell.
Bettering his 62 runs in the first innings, the in-form Duckett once again stepped up with a classy century in England's second innings, while missing out on a 150 by one run. He added 188 for the opening wicket as the hosts took the game away from India on Day 5.
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Interestingly, Duckett does not have a contract in the Indian Premier League despite being an all-format performer.
Joking about his chances of getting a contract with the Gujarat Titans, former England captain and wicketkeeper, Jos Buttler, poked fun, saying his GT captain, Shubman Gill, would not want him at the franchise after his performance against India at Headingley.
Will Ben Duckett get an IPL contract in 2026?
While reviewing the series opener on their new For The Love of Cricket podcast, Buttler joked about the possible frustration that Duckett's batting would have caused to his GT teammate, Gill.
Buttler also lauded Duckett's efforts and leadership as one of the senior players on the team. "The way that he [Duckett] is playing and feels in that dressing room, he is a real leader and stepped up and led from the front yesterday, which is fantastic to see," said Buttler.
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"[The 149] Certainly is not going to do him any problems. I don't know if Shubman would want him any more after seeing that yesterday," said Buttler funnily after Broad suggested a potential IPL contract for Duckett at the Gujarat Titans.
What is Ben Duckett's record in T20 cricket?
The southpaw currently plays all three formats for England, scoring 527 runs in his T20I career at a strike rate of 153.64, while in his 208-match T20 career, he has 5274 runs, striking at 140.90.
| Format | Innings | Runs | Avg/SR | Highest | 50/100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T20I | 20 | 527 | 29.27/153.64 | 84 | 3/0 |
| T20 | 208 | 5274 | 31.02/140.90 | 96 | 34/0 |
Stats correct as of Jun. 26, 2025.
Considering his consistent performance for England, an IPL contract doesn't seem far-fetched for the opener, given his aggressive style of play.
Up next, India will face England in Birmingham in the 2nd Test from July 2, following an 8-day gap for the teams to rest and recoup.