Ben Stokes might skip IPL 2025 mega-auction: Here's why
England's Test captain Ben Stokes is planning to skip the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) mega-auction, as per The Telegraph. The decision stems from his dedication to his Test career, especially with difficult series against India and Australia. Stokes last played in the IPL in 2023 for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and missed the next auction due to an injury.
Stokes's focus on World Test Championship and injury management
Stokes's reported decision to skip the IPL 2025 mega-auction is also due to his focus on the World Test Championship. His last T20 appearance was in the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia. Although he retired from One Day Internationals (ODIs) once, he returned for the 2023 ODI World Cup and hinted at possibly playing ODIs again. Stokes's workload management is important considering his history of injuries.
IPL's new rules on player withdrawals
To deal with player withdrawals, the IPL has introduced new rules. If a player withdraws without a valid reason, they could be handed a two-year ban. Stokes's decision to skip the mega-auction falls in line with these rules as he puts his Test career and health ahead of playing in the league.
A look at his IPL numbers
Stokes has garnered 935 runs in 45 IPL games, striking at a healthy rate of 133.95. The tally includes two fifties and as many centuries. The right-arm pacer has scalped 28 wickets at an economy rate of 8.64. He played for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) between 2018 and 2021. He also served the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant, who reached the final in 2017.
