England all-rounder and Test captain Ben Stokes will fly back home after his franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK) final IPL 2023 league match against Delhi Capitals (DC), reports stated. This means he’ll not be available for the playoffs even if CSK qualifies.
The 31-year-old, who was bought by CSK for ₹16.25 crore during the IPL auction in December 2022, participated in just the first two matches for CSK, scoring 7 and 8 and conceded 18 runs in his only over with the ball.
According to an ESPNCricinfo report, Stokes will “return to the UK after their final group game against Delhi Capitals on Saturday afternoon,” with the Ashes series between England and Australia starting with the first Test on June 16.
Stokes, who has a chronic knee problem, had stated his wish to “give myself enough time to get back and play that game” and “fulfill my role as fourth seamer” during the Ashes. England is also scheduled to play a Test against Ireland at Lord’s on June 1 as part of their preparation.
Ben Stokes In IPL 2023 For Chennai Super Kings
Stokes has not played in IPL since April 3, initially missing out due to a toe injury before suffering “another little setback” which Stephen Fleming, Super Kings’ head coach, refused to elaborate on.
Stokes has once more been available for selection during the past week, but CSK decided to utilize Devon Conway, Moeen Ali, Matheesha Pathirana, and Maheesh Theekshana as their four foreign players in place of Stokes.
Additionally, Fleming stated that Stokes is being considered as “batting cover” and that the team is unlikely to “chop and change” prior to their final group game after CSK’s home loss to Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday night.
“Ben’s ability to bowl overs at the moment is still a bit of a challenge, but he’s there as that batting cover. But with Moeen bowling well in good conditions – we go to Delhi [next] which has been turning – we think the balance of the side has been right.
And look, we’re second on the table, so it’s not our style to chop and change just because we’ve had a loss where things didn’t go our way. We won’t do that. We might tinker with it but we’re very focused on getting the right team for Delhi,” Fleming said.
CSK plays DC on Saturday May 20.