England Test captain Ben Stokes, a giant of the sport, hung up his international cricket boots on Monday (June 29), while keeping his path open for playing in other formats. He said he would continue ‘playing
for Durham and whatever other opportunities there are’, suggesting a return to the Indian Premier League (IPL) and other private competitions around the world could be on the cards.
Stokes has consciously avoided all T20 competitions due to his Test commitments, setting an example of sorts for his BazBallers to follow. He pulled out of the IPL 2024 mega auction for the same reason. In 2025, he was not allowed to register for the auction due to a new rule.
According to this rule, any overseas player who does not register in a mega auction will be barred from the subsequent mini auction. The IPL is cyclical, with a mega auction — where teams are allowed to retain only a fraction of their players — followed by two mini auctions.
“Any overseas player will have to register for the big auction. In case the player does not register, then he will have to miss the subsequent small auction. Only exception will be in case of an injury/medical condition which will have to be confirmed by the [player’s] home board before the big auction,” the BCCI’s communication to franchises in 2025 said.
Mini auctions generally see huge bids for the biggest stars as franchises look to plug specific issues. This rule came about to prevent overseas players from taking advantage of this trend. So, by this wording, Stokes should be allowed to register for the 2027 mini auction if he wants to, even if he wasn’t for 2026.
Ben Stokes’ IPL career
Ben Stokes established himself as one of the IPL’s most popular players, driving massive auction bidding wars throughout his career. He debuted in 2017 when Rising Pune Supergiant secured him for a record Rs. 14.5 crore. He justified the price tag, amassing 316 runs and a brilliant 103* at a 142.98 strike rate.
Rajasthan Royals acquired him for ₹12.5 crore in 2018. Over his Royals tenure, his standout campaign was 2020, when he aggregated 285 runs and scored another unbeaten century, maintaining an impressive 142.50 strike rate. In 2023, Chennai Super Kings made him their marquee signing at ₹16.25 crore, though injuries restricted him to two appearances and 15 runs.
Across 45 matches, Stokes tallied 935 runs at an average of 24.60 and a 133.95 strike rate, registering two centuries and two fifties. He also claimed 28 wickets, demonstrating his immense match-winning impact when fully fit to play cricket.
Beyond the IPL, his overall 20-over footprint features 3,027 runs and two centuries across 162 career T20 matches, alongside 585 runs at a 128.00 strike rate in 43 T20 Internationals for England.
