Ben Stokes, the explosive all-rounder for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), has decided not to play in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season in order to properly manage his workload and put his health first.
The English star's choice has been supported by the five-time IPL title-winning team, but they have not said whether or not they will release him.
Sunday, November 26 is the cutoff day for franchises to announce player releases and retentions for the 2024 campaign. The Englishman can be kept until the 2025 Indian Premier League if the team captained by MS Dhoni chooses not to release him.
After the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 concluded, Stokes said that he will have knee surgery, a procedure he had initially postponed. Given this, the timeline for his return will be determined by his rehabilitation progress, in collaboration with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
"I've put a lot of hard work in away from cricket to give myself the best chance of a quicker recovery and, with Christmas and everything coming up, the main thing for me is getting this knee right and being ready and raring to go for that Test series in India," Stokes had said after England's last game in the recently concluded ODI World Cup.