Image: Ben Duckett deactivated his X account after attacks from Jasprit Bumrah fans / © BBC
After the backlash over his comments on Jasprit Bumrah, England batter Ben Duckett was forced to deactivate his X (formerly Twitter) account, ahead of the highly anticipated five-Test series against India in June, Duckett claimed in a Daily Mail interview that Bumrah wouldn’t surprise him, having already faced him in a previous series. His exact words were, “I know what he’s going to do to me, and there’s going to be nothing that surprises me”. However, the statement went viral, drawing harsh criticism from Indian fans, especially with England struggling in recent series.
Attempting to clarify, Duckett tweeted that he never claimed he would dominate Bumrah and asked users to read the full article. Still, the criticism intensified, leading to his account deactivation. Notably, during England’s 2024 India tour, Bumrah dismissed Duckett once and picked up 19 wickets overall, the third-highest in the series dominated by spinners.
In the same interview, Duckett admitted India is a tough side at home but insisted England can beat them. He stated, “India at home is very different to India away. It’s a side I feel we should beat”. Duckett’s form will be crucial if England aims to challenge India in their home conditions.