Ben Stokes’ IPL journey had began with a rapid ascent. In 2017, Rising Pune Supergiants purchased him for a staggering ₹14.5 crore, making headlines as the most expensive overseas player then. In 2018, Rajasthan Royals secured his services for ₹12.5 crore. Stokes quickly established himself as a star in the IPL. However, his impact on the league has diminished over the past few years.
Ben Stokes banned from IPL 2026
Ben Stokes opted out of IPL 2022 to prioritize his England Test commitments. Returning in 2023, he was signed by CSK for an impressive ₹16.25 crore, but his season was marred by underwhelming performances and a mid-season exit due to a knee injury. Fitness issues led him to sit out IPL 2024. Now, with IPL 2025 approaching, Stokes has chosen not to register for the auction, preferring to focus on Test cricket with England.
With this decision, Ben Stokes is now automatically barred from participating in IPL 2026 due to a new IPL rule. According to this regulation, any overseas player who does not register for the mega auction becomes ineligible to enter the following year’s auction. As a result, Stokes is automatically rendered ineligible for IPL 2026.
Ben Stokes will be eligible to register for the IPL auction again in 2027. His ban from IPL 2026 may not affect him, as he has prioritized Test cricket in recent times. Stokes has been distancing himself from limited-overs cricket and even announced his retirement from ODIs in 2022.
However, he returned from retirement to play in the 2023 World Cup. Additionally, since winning the T20 World Cup 2022 final, Ben Stokes has not played any T20I matches for England. The only limited-overs competition he has participated in recently is The Hundred.
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Recently, Ben Stokes returned to action by captaining England in a Test series against Pakistan. However, his comeback was far from memorable, as England lost second and third matches of the series under his leadership. In contrast, they secured a victory in the first Test under Ollie Pope’s captaincy.