The auction is done, and many players went under the hammer and received attention, but amidst all the buzz, one name people were eagerly looking for was Ben Stokes. There is no question about how big Stokes is, as this New Zealand-born England cricketer needs no introduction. Known as one of the best all-rounders in the current era, Stokes has the potential to turn a game from any stage. Always regarded as a big-match player, Stokes first gained attention in the IPL when he was bought by the Rising Pune Supergiant at a record price of INR 14.5 crore, where he performed decently. His peak form, however, came with Rajasthan Royals, and later he joined Chennai Super Kings in 2023, becoming the team’s most expensive player ever, with a bid of Rs 16.25 crore. However, he only played a few matches due to a knee injury. Since then, there has been no news about him. Before the auction, he announced that he would not participate in the IPL mega auction, which came as a shock to his fans.
Why Ben Stokes is not playing in IPL 2025
England Test skipper Ben Stokes revealed that he chose not to take part in the IPL 2025 mega auction in order to look after his body. He stated that he is no longer at his peak and needs to understand what his body requires to play for the long term. This is the main reason why he will not be participating in IPL 2025.
Ben Stokes IPL stats
| Year | Mat | No | Runs | HS | Avg | BF | SR | 100 | 50 | 4s | 6s | CT | ST |
| Career | 43 | 6 | 920 | 107* | 25.56 | 684 | 134.5 | 2 | 2 | 79 | 32 | 20 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0* | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 8 | 1 | 285 | 107* | 40.71 | 200 | 142.5 | 1 | 1 | 36 | 7 | 6 | 0 |
| 2019 | 9 | 3 | 123 | 46 | 20.5 | 99 | 124.24 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| 2018 | 13 | 1 | 196 | 45 | 16.33 | 161 | 121.73 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| 2017 | 12 | 1 | 316 | 103* | 31.6 | 221 | 142.98 | 1 | 1 | 22 | 15 | 5 | 0 |
| Year | Mat | Balls | Runs | WKTS | BBM | Ave | Econ | SR | 4W | 5W |
| Career | 43 | 683 | 974 | 28 | 3/15 | 34.79 | 8.56 | 24.39 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 | 6 | 12 | 0 | 0/12 | – | 12 | – | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 8 | 90 | 154 | 2 | 2/32 | 77 | 10.26 | 45 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | 9 | 101 | 189 | 6 | 2/39 | 31.5 | 11.22 | 16.83 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | 13 | 222 | 303 | 8 | 3/15 | 37.87 | 8.18 | 27.75 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | 12 | 264 | 316 | 12 | 3/18 | 26.33 | 7.18 | 22 | 0 | 0 |
