England Player Ben Stokes is planning to skip the IPL 2025 season – choosing to focus on his Test commitments and managing his workload. This decision comes amid a packed schedule for England in 2025 which includes the ICC Champions Trophy and an Ashes series.
Stokes has dealt with recurring injuries in recent years and aims to stay in top form for these key red-ball assignments particularly the high-stakes Ashes series.
According to media reports Stokes wants to stay fresh for his upcoming red-ball commitments especially with the Ashes on the horizon. After joining Chennai Super Kings in 2023 he was limited to just two appearances due to a knee injury.
The Telegraph reports that he’s unlikely to register for the 2025 mega auction to stay available for England’s demanding Test schedule.
However a recent rule introduced by the BCCI could complicate Stokes’ options. This rule requires any overseas player who skips the IPL 2025 mega auction to sit out the following season’s auction as well.
The new BCCI rule states, “Any Overseas Player will have to register for the Big Auction. In case the overseas player doesn’t register, then he will be ineligible to register in the following year’s player auction,”
If Stokes skips the IPL 2025 mega auction, he would automatically be ineligible for the 2026 mini auction. However since he hasn’t been with any IPL team since CSK released him after IPL 2023, he wouldn’t face the two-year ban imposed by another new BCCI policy.
This rule states, “Any player who registers in the player auction and after getting picked at the auction, makes himself unavailable before the start of the season, will get banned from participating in the tournament and player auction for 2 Seasons,”
Despite his recent injury struggles, Stokes’ decision to skip the IPL might leave franchises disappointed, as his match-winning abilities, especially under pressure, are well-known.
He’s been a crucial player in ICC tournaments, contributing to England’s 2019 ODI World Cup and 2022 T20 World Cup wins. While he focuses on red-ball cricket, his absence from the IPL may open doors for other all-rounders and keep him fit for England’s critical Test series.
