Ben Duckett withdraws from IPL to focus attention on finding form for England after winter to forget

Ben Duckett has pulled out of the Indian Premier League in a bid to keep hold of his England place following a dire winter.

The left-hander was widely touted as the world's best all-format opener not so long ago but a nosedive in form towards the end of last summer bled into the winter, where he made just one score north of fifty in 16 innings.

A top score of 42 in the Ashes was compounded by him being unwittingly filmed and seemingly drunk during a mid-series break in Noosa, with the video posted online, while he was an unused squad member in England's recent T20 World Cup campaign in India and Sri Lanka.

Following a long winter on the road and with scrutiny on his spot in the Test side, in particular, Duckett has informed Delhi Capitals of his decision to withdraw from the IPL, which starts on Saturday.