Ben Stokes has entered the IPL auction three times, fetching an average of Rs 14.41 crore each time. But this time, he was not part of the auction and the reason has now come out. Stokes has admitted that he has skipped this season of the IPL to ‘prolong’ his career for his national side. Stokes is no stranger to the cash-rich league, he has previously played for Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS), Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL, and was named the most valuable player of the tournament in 2017. 

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‘Obviously want to play as long’

“(There is) 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.

“(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,” said Stokes to BBC Sport ahead of England’s Test series opener against New Zealand in Christchurch.

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WHAT STOKES BRINGS TO THE PLATE

Regarded as one of the best all-rounders of the generation, Stokes brings in a lot of star power to whichever team he plays for. The league will truly miss Stokes.