England Test skipper Ben Stokes on Wednesday hinted that he is likely to leave Chennai Super Kings (CSK) mid-way through their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 campaign to give himself enough time to prepare for England’s one-off Test against Ireland.
Stokes could miss the latter stages of the IPL 2023 campaign which could come as a huge blow to CSK given they had signed the England all-rounder for a massive Rs 16.25 crore in the IPL 2023 auction.
The one-off Test between England and Ireland is set to take place at the Lord’s Cricket Ground from June 1. It will serve as a preparation for English players ahead of the all-important Ashes that is scheduled to take place from June 16 in Birmingham.
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According to the schedule announced by the BCCI, the IPL 2023 campaign will get underway on March 31 and the final is slated to be played on May 28. Thus, if CSK reach the final, they might be without the services of a key player.
Speaking to the press in Wellington ahead of England’s 2nd Test versus New Zealand, Stokes hinted that he is likely to miss the latter stages of IPL, to play the Ireland Test.
“Yes, I will play,” replied the 31-year-old. He also hinted that he will have a chat with some of his teammates, who will also be featuring in IPL.
The likes of Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Harry Brook, and Jonny Bairstow are among some of the big names who will feature in the upcoming IPL edition but they are also likely to be part of England’s Test side.
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“I’ll probably get round the individuals and ask them what they want to be ready for the Ashes because those five games are obviously the big ones of the summer, and you’ve got to think about what lads want,” added Stokes.
He continued, “But what if something was to happen in that game [Ireland] and we lose someone for the Ashes … It’s just one of those where you have to weigh up the options of what the individual person actually wants out of that week, versus do we really need to play that one. Because, obviously, I’m right in saying that series is bigger than that game against Ireland.”
Given the workload of the T20 leagues and the international calendar, it will be interesting to see how English players manage their commitments.
Stokes meanwhile had last played in the IPL in 2021, he suffered a broken finger while playing for Rajasthan Royals and after undergoing surgery missed the entire campaign IPL 2022 season.
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