The captain of the Test cricket team for England, Ben Stokes, spoke about his choice to opt out of the Indian Premier League 2025 mega auction, in a candid interview. The well-known all-rounder who has played for teams such as Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS), Rajasthan Royals (RR), and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) has preferred to stick to his international career by giving priority to extending his stay in England rather than participating in the big-ticket IPL tournament.
Stokes has been a fixture in the IPL, famously winning the “Most Valuable Player” (MVP) award in 2017. Despite his past success in the tournament, the 32-year-old cricketer decided to sit out the 2025 auction to ensure he could extend his career with the England national team.
“I’m at the tail-end of my career and there’s just so much cricket, you know,” Stokes told BBC Sport. “Of course, I want to play as long as possible. Looking after my body and looking after myself as best I can is key to that.”
This was also driven by log and physical demands of cricket calender of modern format in which Stokes acknowledged that keeping things together between the competing engagements in various formats remains hard. “It’s just a matter of prioritizing games and, when I do play-obviously I’m in South Africa this year-so it is 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.”
IPL Auction Rules Impact
Under the revised rules of the IPL auction, a player who withdraws themselves from a franchise after that franchise buys them would have to face the consequences by being banned for the two next seasons, unless legitimate reasons exist for withdrawal. These are just a few more complexities added onto Stokes’s decision, but on the whole, he sticks to his international commitments.
Stokes said that his main aim is to play for England as long as possible. “I want to wear this England shirt for as long as I can,” he said, reiterating his commitment to the national team over the allure of IPL stardom.
England’s Current Focus: New Zealand Test Series
As Stokes continues his journey with England, his focus is now on the Test series against New Zealand. The team has given a debut to left-handed batter Jacob Bethell, who will bat at number three for England. The team is currently in the sixth position in the World Test Championship standings and is out of contention for the final at Lord’s next year.
As for the New Zealand conditions, Stokes reflected, “If you saw that pitch in England, you’d be praying to God that you won the toss and could bowl first. It’s amazing in New Zealand. You can look at a wicket and it plays completely different to what it looks like.”
Stokes also spoke about the uncertainty of the World Test Championship, saying that although England does not stand a chance to reach the final this year, they will just continue playing good cricket and focus on one series at a time. “The World Test Championship is a bit confusing. I don’t look at it. Over a long period of time, if you’re playing really good cricket, you’re getting results that you want, you’ll end up finding yourself in the final and in the mix.”
