England Test captain Ben Stokes has revealed the reason for not registering in the IPL 2025 mega auction stating that he is attempting to prolong his international career. The 33-year-old, admittedly is at the fag end of his playing days and is willing to play for England in the longest format as long as he can.
He also pointed out, not for the first time, that a lot of cricket is being played these days. Stokes was a notable omission from the 52 English players who signed up for the auction in Jeddah. This meant that, according to the new rule set by the BCCI, the England skipper will not be allowed to register for the mini-auction next year.
Historically, Stokes has been in a lot of demand at the auction as he earned lucrative deals multiple times with Rising Pune Supergiant, Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings. "[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," Stokes said while speaking to BBC Sport.
Stokes is also coming back from injury having missed the majority of the home summer due to a torn right hamstring. Even though he is set to miss the IPL for the next couple of editions, the England all-rounder will be in action at the SA20 in January next year, closer to the Champions Trophy.
"[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," Stokes further added.
