England batter Ben Duckett found himself at the center of social media trolling following his team’s premature exit from the Champions Trophy 2025. England’s campaign came to an abrupt end after a stunning defeat to Afghanistan on Wednesday, knocking them out of the semi-final race. However, it wasn’t just the loss that grabbed attention—Ben Duckett’s past comments about India resurfaced, adding fuel to the fire.
Prior to the tournament, Ben Duckett had downplayed England’s 3-0 ODI series defeat against India, stating, “If we lose 3-0 to India, I don’t care as long as we beat them in the final of the Champions Trophy.” But as fate would have it, England failed to even reach the knockout stage, while India, led by Rohit Sharma, remained unbeaten in the tournament. Social media users wasted no time in reminding Duckett of his words, mocking his confidence as England’s campaign ended in disappointment.
Ben Duckett, during the tour of India, said that it’s absolutely fine to lose vs India in this series. We shall beat them in the semis of the #ChampionsTrophy.
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) February 26, 2025
It’ll take a special effort today against Afghanistan to stay alive in the tournament. We can talk about the semis a…
The dream of Ben Duckett 😎
— Rathin Dutta 𝕏 (@IamRathinDutta) February 27, 2025
Respect the nation where you are touring. As Ravi Shastri said- Take Subcontinent seriously. pic.twitter.com/UnpMGByMNK
Shame on Afghanistan for ruining Ben Duckett's dream of defeating India in the final after being whitewashed in bilateral series.
— Silly Point (@FarziCricketer) February 26, 2025
Ben Duckett was dreaming of defeating India in the final, but Afghanistan made sure he woke up early.
— YK Rajesh (@Y_K_Rajesh) February 26, 2025
Next time, he should set an alarm before dreaming too big.
England and Ben Duckett 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/obKfBEcpnS
— Dealzeen (@zeenfluence) February 26, 2025
Tragic scenes! Ben Duckett was all set to script England’s ultimate redemption arc, but Afghanistan mistook it for a deleted scene from a fantasy movie. Someone check if there’s a sequel planned! 😂
— Uradoofusbhaiya (@uradoofus) February 26, 2025
Afghanistan’s victory over England was nothing short of historic, powered by Ibrahim Zadran’s incredible 177-run knock and Azmatullah Omarzai’s brilliant five-wicket haul. Posting a strong total of 325-7 in a high-stakes clash in Lahore, Afghanistan defended their score by bowling England out for 317 in 49.5 overs, securing a thrilling eight-run win.
Despite Joe Root’s valiant 120, England lost wickets at crucial moments, marking their second consecutive defeat to Afghanistan in an ICC event after their shocking World Cup 2023 loss in India. With 13 runs needed off the final over and only one wicket remaining, Omarzai held his nerve, conceding just four runs and dismissing Adil Rashid to seal England’s fate.
While Afghanistan remains in contention for a semi-final spot, England’s disappointing run has left their fans disheartened, and Duckett’s bold remark has only added to the frustration.
