Star English all-rounder Ben Stokes was bought by CSK for a huge sum of Rs 16.25 crore in IPL 2023 Auction. However, the expensive all-rounder is set to miss the playoffs if CSK enters the second round.
Ben Stokes will arrive this week in India. The southpaw will join the other team members and begin training with MS Dhoni-led CSK at Chepauk Stadium ahead of their clash against Gujarat Titans on March 31. But the all-rounder is set to miss the playoffs stage.
Also read: IPL 2023: CSK Captain Conundrum – Gaikwad, Jadeja or Stokes? The Ultimate Option
With the Ireland Test beginning on June 1, it is being learnt that should Chennai go on to qualify for the Playoffs, Stokes might not be available for the crunch games. Ben Stokes has recently confirmed that he will miss the second half of IPL 2023 to gear up for England’s Test match against Ireland starting on June 1.
“Yes, I’ll play (the Ireland Test). “I’ll be making sure that I give myself enough time to get back and play that [Ireland] game,” he said as quoted in a report by ESPNCricinfo.
“I’ll probably get round the individuals and ask them what they want to be ready for for the Ashes, because those five games are obviously the big ones of the summer, and you’ve got to think about what lads want. But what if something was to happen in that game [Ireland] and we lose someone for the Ashes … It’s just one of those where you have to weigh up the options of what the individual person actually wants out of that week, versus do we really need to play that one. Because, obviously, I’m right in saying that series is bigger than that game against Ireland,” he added.