The Test captain of England and the globally renowned all-rounder, Ben Stokes, appears ready to come out of his retirement and participate in the ODI World Cup in India.
Despite the potential sacrifice of skipping a lucrative IPL season, the British newspaper ‘The Telegraph’ reveals that Ben Stokes is inclined to make a remarkable turnaround by reversing his decision to retire from one day internationals.
His objective is to support England’s endeavor to defend their World Cup title in India this year, even if it entails forgoing the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League.
The potential cause behind Stokes considering foregoing his Rs 16 crore yearly contract with CSK in the IPL is the upcoming five-Test series against India, scheduled from January 25 to March 11.
Participating in two months of the IPL until the end of May would result in Stokes spending nearly five months in India, which could pose logistical challenges for him.
There’s an anticipation that he’ll need to undergo a knee surgery at some juncture, and the IPL timeframe appears optimal as it would allow him to make a comeback to competitive cricket and maintain his leadership role for England in the years ahead.
Amid ongoing worries about Stokes’s knee, which might necessitate surgery in the future, information from Telegraph Sport indicates that he’d be willing to skip the upcoming IPL season if it aids his recovery by providing a gap in his schedule.
England’s campaign kicks off on October 5 in Ahmedabad against New Zealand. The 32-year-old Stokes, having played 105 ODIs before his retirement from the format last year, could potentially make a return for a single tournament to assist Buttler’s team in recapturing the trophy they secured in 2019. Stokes notably earned the Player of the Final title in the previous edition held at home.
The report also indicates that if necessary, Stokes would take on the role of a specialist batter in the middle order.
