Former England Test cricket captain Ben Stokes shocked the world when, shortly before the tea break on Day 4 of the Third Test against New Zealand, news broke that he was retiring from international cricket.
While he was bowling, a video was released of him informing the team that this was to be his last game for England. In typical Stokes fashion, he went on to claim the wicket of Zak Foulkes just as the news was murmuring through the Trent Bridge crowd.
Stokes isn’t retiring from cricket altogether, though, and is expected to return to the world’s top T20 competitions alongside his duties for Durham. This means the IPL will doubtless be on his radar, with every franchise eager to add one of the world’s top all-rounders to their squad.
Unfortunately, Stokes’ return to the IPL won’t be simple.
IPL return in 2028 at the earliest
Ben Stokes stepped away from the IPL in 2023, citing his desire to focus on international cricket. He had been plagued with injuries, famously fracturing his index finger in the first match of the 2021 season and missing the rest of the tournament.
Stokes only played two games in 2023 before pulling out with a knee injury, while he skipped the 2022 season completely after a gruelling schedule took a heavy toll. This led to his decision to pause his IPL involvement and, crucially, skip the 2025 Mega Auction.
International players who don’t take part in the Mega Auction are then barred from entering any of the subsequent Mini Auctions. With the next Mega Auction not due until 2028, Stokes may have to sit on the sidelines until then.
There will be plenty of other international stars taking part in the 2027 IPL season. Stokes’ former England teammates Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer and Phil Salt will all be there. So too will big names such as Quinton de Kock, Cameron Green and Heinrich Klaasen.
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There’s no doubt that Stokes would be a massive addition to the IPL. He was the 2017 MVP, and has unfinished business in the competition. Still, after a troubled final three years in the competition between 2021 and 2023, he’d need to prove he was healthy and ready to play.
Unfinished business can motivate Stokes
It’s incredibly unlikely that the BCCI will make an exception for Stokes and allow him to enter the 2027 Mini Auction. The rule of having to enter during a Mega Auction was directly requested by the teams, and the BCCI will be unlikely to want to set a precedent.
This means that Stokes’ return will be in 2028, when he’ll be 36 years old. Although plenty of players in the IPL are north of this, there’s no denying that it’s a concern for a player as physical as Stokes is. This is intensified when his injury-hit final three years in the IPL are taken into account.
There’s every chance that Stokes can find the motivation needed to find his old form in the IPL, though.
He’ll doubtless be hungry to win a decisive IPL title. He was forced to miss the final in 2017 when he played for the dominant Rising Pune Supergiant, and the side went on to lose by a single run to the Mumbai Indians.
Stokes did technically win the IPL in 2023, but that won’t feel like a true accomplishment to a player as competitive as him. He had a minor involvement in the opening two games, then sat injured on the sidelines for most of the season. Even when healthy, he couldn’t break back into the team, and had to watch his teammates win without his help.
By 2028, the lack of international cricket will hopefully have Stokes fitter and fresher than he has been in recent years. With plenty to prove, he’ll be ready to return to the IPL in style.
