IPL 2025: Ben Stokes claims skipping auction was a career-saving decision
Published - 27 Nov 2024, 04:40 PM
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England National Cricket Team Test captain Ben Stokes revealed why he didn't register for the Indian Premier League (IPL) Auction 2025. He said that he wanted to prioritize playing for England as long as possible and look after his body.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) auction 2025 concluded on Monday, 25th November, and it saw some of the massive records getting shattered as well. While almost every big player featured in the auction and bagged big amounts, one of the biggest match-winners, Ben Stokes, didn't.
Ben Stokes won't be featuring in the league till 2026 now as per the new policy
Stokes, who is touted as one of the best all-rounders in the game, won't be featuring in the league till 2026 now as per the new policy. The new rule states that players who have previously appeared in the league but did not register for the mega-auction would be unable to register for the subsequent mini-auction.
Stokes, who has played a massive role in the IPL, has represented Rising Pune Supergiant, Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK). With the kind of player he is, it's fair to say that he would've fetched a massive amount of money in the bidding event.
Ben Stokes, who became one of the most expensive players in the IPL when he was picked by Chennai Super Kings, didn't feature for a team that season in the majority of the games. The all-rounder missed the games due to injury and, after that, opted out of the 2024 season to manage his workload.
I obviously want to play as long as I possibly can - Ben Stokes
While talking about missing the IPL 2025, Stokes claimed that he is at the fag end of his career and wants to play as long as possible for England National Cricket Team, and for that, he needs to look after himself. He explained:
"[There is] just so much cricket," Stokes told BBC Sport in Christchurch ahead of England's first Test against New Zealand. "There's no hiding behind the fact that I'm at the back end of my career. I obviously want to play as long as I possibly can. Looking after my body and looking after myself as much as I can is key to that."
I want to wear this England shirt for as long as I can - Ben Stokes
Stokes further added that with him playing in the SA20, made him think about his career. He concluded by saying that he wants to don the England shirt for as long as he can in his career. He added:
"[It is about] prioritising games and when I do play - obviously I'm in South Africa this year - so it's about looking at what I've got ahead and making the decision that I think is right for me to be able to prolong my career as long as possible. I want to wear this England shirt for as long as I can."
Ben Stokes has played 45 games in the Indian Premier League. The all-rounder has slammed 935 runs at a strike rate of over 133 to go with 2 half-centuries and two centuries. He also has picked 28 wickets in the league with a best of 3/15.
