England‘s Test cricket captain, Ben Stokes, plans to skip the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) mega-auction. Stokes is prioritizing his Test cricket duties. He had also missed the prior mega-auction and last played in the IPL in 2023 with Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
The IPL has introduced rules to tackle player withdrawals. Players could face a two-year ban if they withdraw without a valid reason. Stokes played only a few matches in the IPL 2023 before an injury, which kept him out of the playing XI. He also opted out of IPL 2024 and the 2024 T20 World Cup to prepare for the Ashes series.
The Telegraph reported that Stokes’ decision might mean he is considering a return to white-ball cricket. His last T20 appearance was in the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia. Though he had retired from One Day Internationals (ODIs), he returned for the 2023 ODI World Cup. He has hinted at possibly playing ODIs again.
Stokes’ schedule in 2025 is already busy, focusing on the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. England has yet to reach the WTC final, despite the tournament being held in England repeatedly.
England’s 2025-27 WTC cycle includes home and away Test series against India and Australia. Stokes, as an all-rounder, will need to manage his workload due to his injury history.
Ben Stokes likely to be absent from IPL 2025 | Cricket News – Times of India
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