Ben Stokes out of Chennai Super Kings IPL campaign following World Cup in India

By Matt Hardy

England Test captain Ben Stokes will not feature in the 2024 IPL for his side the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to manage his workload, the franchise have confirmed. (Photo by Vishal Bhatnagar/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

England Test captain Ben Stokes will not feature in the 2024 IPL for his side the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to manage his workload, the franchise have confirmed.

Stokes was purchased by the Chennai Super Kings for £1.6m (INR 16.25 crore) ahead of last season’s IPL league in India but will not participate in the sport’s biggest Twenty20 competition next year.

The league falls between England’s Test series in India and the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the United States.

Stokes was part of the England team who disappointed at the ODI World Cup earlier this autumn, with the side only just qualifying for the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan with their eighth placed finish.

The Test captain has played 45 matches in the IPL since his debut in 2017 for teams such as Rising Pune Supergiant and Rajasthan Royals.

His near 50 matches has seen the all-rounder knock 935 runs at an average of just over 24.

“The Chennai Super Kings management is supportive of Ben in his decision to manage his workload with England playing a five-Test series in India before the IPL and then the T20 World Cup in June 2024,” CSK said in a statement.