- Tuesday, April 22, 2025
Stokes, who played the 50-World Cup in England without much success, will lead India in a five-match away Test series early next year.
By: Shubham Ghosh
ENGLAND Test captain Ben Stokes, who broke his retirement to play the 50-over World Cup in India recently, will not be available for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 as he will concentrate on his workload and fitness.
The 32-year-old ace all-rounder, who played only six of England’s nine matches in the World Cup, will undergo knee surgery ahead of the Three Lions’ five-match Test series in India between January and March 2024.
The New Zealand-born Stokes was the most expensive pick for the Chennai Super Kings in the 2023 edition of the IPL but played just two games due to injury issues. The Super Kings, who won the title this year, said their management supported the England cricketer’s decision to manage workload.
The dates of IPL 2024 are yet to be confirmed but the tournament is likely to take place between March end and May end.
Stokes, who played a key role in England’s World Cup wins in the 50-over and 20-over formats in 2019 and 2022, respectively, has been struggling with his knee issue for some time but has not revealed its exact nature or about the surgery when asked about it during the World Cup.
The all-rounder, who scored a hundred against the Netherlands and a fifty against Pakistan in England’s final two matches in the World Cup, has not bowled since July and it has caused problems for England to find their right balance.
With the 50-over World Cup just getting over and a long Test series coming up in India followed by the IPL and the T20 World Cup in June, England players might have to wisely pick formats to avoid injuries and burnouts.
