Ben Stokes, the England Test captain and all-rounder, has decided to skip IPL 2024 in order to balance his workload and maintain his fitness levels. This move was made with the upcoming five-Test series against India and the ICC T20 World Cup in June in mind. A statement from his team, Chennai Super Kings (CSK), confirmed this decision.

Photo: CSK's Ben Stokes will not play IPL 2024 for fitness reasons

"England Test captain, all-rounder Ben Stokes has made himself unavailable for IPL 2024 to manage his workload and fitness. The Chennai Super Kings management is supportive of Ben in his decision to manage his workload with England playing a 5- Test series in India before the IPL and then the T20 World Cup in June 2024," a statement from Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

Stokes, who is 32 years old, joined the Super Kings team before the IPL 2023 season, which turned out to be a success. He was acquired by CSK in the auction for a whopping Rs 16.25 crores last year. However, he only managed to play in two matches, scoring a total of 15 runs with his highest score being eight runs. Unfortunately, he was unable to take any wickets due to fitness problems and missed most of the season.

He made a comeback for the ODI World Cup 2023 and played six matches, scoring 304 runs with an average of 50.66 and a strike rate above 89. He even hit a century and two half-centuries, with his highest score being 108. Despite his team finishing seventh and failing to retain the title, they managed to secure a place in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which will take place in Pakistan.

When is the IPL 2024 auction?

According to ESPNcricinfo reports, Franchises participating in the IPL have until November 26 to reveal their final list of retained players for the upcoming 2024 player auction, which is scheduled to take place in Dubai on December 19. The franchises will take into account two important factors before making their final decisions: the new players available for bidding and the mega auction that will take place before the 2025 season, which will result in a complete overhaul of the squads.

The IPL 2024 is set to hold matches in various cities across India. Some of the renowned venues that have hosted games in the past are the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai and Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium.

(With Input from agencies)