Ben Stokes has been given permission by the England and Wales Cricket Board to take part in the Indian Premier League’s 11th season, which runs from April 4 to May 31, reported BBC.
Stokes is currently suspended from the England squad as he is under investigation by the police for a brawl outside a nightclub in Bristol in September. The 26-year-old missed the ongoing Ashes series in Australia, in which England are trailing 0-3 after four Tests. He also isn’t part of the England ODI squad for the five-match series following the Tests.
The all-rounder was recently cleared to play for Canterbury in New Zealand, the land of his birth, though he cut short his stay there for “family reasons”. ECB chief executive Tom Harrison conceded it would be “difficult” to prevent him playing in the IPL.
Stokes became the most expensive overseas player ever in IPL history last year after he was purchased by Rising Pune Supergiants for Rs 14.5 crore. He repaid the franchise by hitting 316 runs and taking 12 wickets in as many matches, which played a major part in Pune reaching the knockout stages.
The 26-year-old could be bought for an even higher amount for the upcoming season considering the salary cap has been increased by 20% after the IPL’s media rights for the next five years were sold for a record Rs 16,347 crore. This year’s auction on January 27-28 will see teams operate with at an increased budget of Rs 80 crore from previous Rs 66 crore.
Stokes is currently awaiting the United Kingdom’s public prosecution agency’s decision on whether he should be charged for the brawl. The ECB had said his selection for England was dependent on the outcome of a police investigation.
The IPL begins a day after England’s second and final Test against New Zealand ends, which means he could still play a majority of the tournament should he be cleared for national duty. He could, however, miss the IPL’s last couple of weeks considering England host Pakistan for two Tests starting May 24.
With inputs from AFP