The 10-team league is "an great competition to be a part of," according to England Test captain Ben Stokes, who added that his involvement in the Indian Premier League (IPL) will only depend on how the calendar outside of international cricket will be.
playing for a long-gone band Stokes, a rising Pune Supergiant, won the IPL's Most Valuable Player award in 2017 after scoring 316 runs and taking 12 wickets in the same number of games. At the 2018 player auction, when Rajasthan Royals paid INR 12.5 crores for him, he was the most expensive player. Stokes managed to take 16 wickets and make just one fifty in 31 games for Rajasthan.
Stokes made his lone appearance for Rajasthan in the IPL 2021 when he dropped a catch in the deep and shattered his left finger. The injuries continued to restrict him from playing, and Stokes took a four-and-a-half-month vacation from the sport for mental health concerns.
Stokes made the decision not to sign up for the 2022 IPL mega auction after returning to the sport via the 2021–22 Ashes in Australia.
"As England cricket players, our timetable is quite busy. We appear to be having fun all year long. This is due to the fact that when it is our summer, it is everyone else's winter and vice versa. In order to play cricket, people come to us, and then we go to them. You need to check the schedule and the calendar to see what is coming up for each of us.
"However, I have been very clear that Test match cricket is at the top of my priority list, and as captain, I must naturally base all of my decisions on Test matches. My commitment outside of international cricket will solely depend on the calendar and upcoming international matches, "Prior to the public release of his documentary "Ben Stokes: Phoenix from the Ashes," Stokes made the statement during a select virtual media interview.
Stokes extolled the IPL and the exposure it affords cricket players, saying, "I have participated in the IPL for four years. Being a part of the competition is great. Not just for the IPL's spectacle, but also for the chance to collaborate with some of the top athletes from across the globe and some of the best coaches we are fortunate enough to play with.
It's really an incredible experience to be a part of. However, as I previously stated, there is a schedule to consider, as well as the area surrounding the IPL window.
(Ben Stokes: Phoenix from the Ashes launches on Prime Video on Friday, August 26)