Ben Stokes prioritised international cricket over IPL as he opted out of the 2025 mega auction. Here's why the England skipper made this tough decision.

England Test skipper Ben Stokes revealed that he chose to give the Indian Premier League mega auction a miss in an effort to ‘look after his body’ and prolong his playing career.

For the upcoming match, England have handed debut to left-hander Jacob Bethell, who will bat at number three. The side currently sits at sixth place in the ongoing World Test Championship points table and are out of contention for reaching the final, to be held at Lord's next year.

England's Test cricket captain Ben Stokes opted out of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on November 24 and 25. Stokes, who has played for several IPL franchises,

England test captain Ben Stokes said he opted out of the bidding in the Indian Premier League to prioritize playing international cricket in what he described as the “back end” of his career. Stokes sat out the lucrative IPL this year to ease his workload following knee problems and was a notable absentee in the auction for the 2025 edition.

Ben Stokes prioritised international cricket over IPL as he opted out of the 2025 mega auction. Here's why the England skipper made this tough decision.

Stokes made his debut in IPL in the 2014 season, following that, he has played 45 matches in the tournament and scored 935 runs at a strike rate of 133.95 and an average of 24.60.