England’s Test captain, Ben Stokes did not register for the IPL 2025 Mega Auction which took place in Riyadh on November 24 and 25. The England captain might go on to miss IPL 2026 and 2027 as well because it was compulsory for all the players to register for the Mega Auction. However, Stokes does not give much importance to it as he is playing a lot of international cricket.
The England Test captain feels that he is at the fag end of his career. So, he has to look after his body and play as long as possible for England. So, the best way to do that is picking and prioritising his schedule in cricket
“There’s just so much cricket. 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 – prioritising games and when I do play,” Stokes told BBC Test match special.
Ben Stokes wants to play cricket for longer period of time
Ben Stokes mentioned that he is currently committed to playing in South Africa with MI Cape Town in the SA20 league. He explained that his decisions are focused on what he believes will help him extend his cricketing career. He expressed his desire to continue representing England for as long as possible.
“Obviously, I’m in South Africa this year (with MI Cape Town in the SA20), 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 be wearing this England shirt for as long as I can,” he added.
Stokes has played 44 innings in the IPL and has scored 935 runs at an average of 24.61 with a strike-rate of 133.95. He has two half-centuries and two centuries to his name. Stokes has also picked up 28 wickets in the IPL. The England captain will lead the team against New Zealand in the three-match Test series in New Zealand.
