Ben Stokes is one of the biggest stars in world cricket ahead of what could be another defining year for the England Test captain in 2023.
Stokes has been a transformative leader for his national side, who have won 10 out of 12 matches since he took the reins from Joe Root last year, playing in an aggressive, innovative and invigorating style.
If the Durham all-rounder is able to win back the Ashes from old enemy Australia on home soil this year, it might even trump his 2019 heroics when he inspired England to a World Cup final victory at Lord's before playing one of the great Test innings to down the Aussies at Headingley.
With an Ashes series on his plate and a lingering knee injury to manage, does Stokes have space in his schedule for the Indian Premier League in 2023?
MORE: Which England players are in the IPL?
Will Ben Stokes play IPL 2023?
Yes. Stokes was signed by Chennai Super Kings in the 2023 auction for 16.25 crore ($1.98m), having also attracted interest from Royal Challengers Bangalore, Rajasthan Royals, Lucknow Super Giants and Sunrisers Hyderabad. He posted to his Instagram account on March 23 about travelling to meet up with his teammates.
Stokes' winning hand in England's T20 World Cup triumph last year ensured his stock remained high across all formats and he went as the third most expensive player in the auction behind England colleague Sam Curran and fellow all-rounder Cameron Green, who joined Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians respectively.
Part of the motivation for CSK going in so hard for Stokes is their need for a leader as MS Dhoni comes towards the end of his career. The 41-year-old took on the Chennai captaincy once again in 2022 after Ravindra Jadeja stood down mid-season.
If CSK go all the way in the IPL, Stokes will not be there to get them over the finish line. The IPL final is on May 28, just four days before England's first Test of their home summer against Ireland at Lord's on June 1.
"Yes, I'll play [in the Ireland Test]," Stokes told reporters during England's series in New Zealand. "I'll be making sure that I give myself enough time to get back and play that game."
The remaining question over Stokes' participation in IPL 2023 regards how much his body will be able to handle.
Master Stoke of the year! 💪#ICCAwards #WhistlePodu 🦁💛 pic.twitter.com/jDoaxdiwMh
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) December 31, 2022
MORE: IPL substitute rules, explained: T20 competition introduces 'tactical subs' for 2023
Is Ben Stokes injured?
As England shared a dramatic 1-1 Test series draw with New Zealand, Stokes' involvement with the ball was severely limited. In the second game in Wellington, he bowled two overs in the match as England sent down 215.5.
"I'm not going to lie, it has been very frustrating knowing something has been holding me back from performing as I'd like to," Stokes said. "Over the next four months, I'm going to have a lot of time to give myself the best opportunity to get it right.
"Don't worry, I'm going to the IPL. I've had conversations with Stephen Fleming [head coach at CSK] and he's fully aware of the situation with my body at the moment. It's a week-by-week case at the moment.
"I've been working hard with the physios and the medics trying to get myself into a place where I can fulfil that role how I have done over the last 10 years.
MORE: Latest IPL 2023 betting and odds
"I've got a four-month period now to get it even better before the Ashes because I want to be turning up in Birmingham [the venue for the first Ashes Test] able to fulfil that role properly. It is frustrating knowing I can't give everything I normally do, but I'll be doing everything I can to give myself the best opportunity of not having to worry about that.
"I've been in different situations where I've been good, I've gone through situations where it's not been good. But if anything I'll probably take my commitment to getting it better even more. I've been working hard with our physio and medics but once the games came around it's been hard to get everything done around my knee.”
England coach Brendon McCullum has no concerns over Stokes' IPL participation and is relaxed in part because of the part his long-time former teammate Fleming has to play.
"[CSK] are very good. They've got a good team and an outstanding leader in Flem. He sees the big picture in everything," he said.
"I've no concerns that the skipper will be totally looked after and I also believe that the Ashes is the script that the skipper is waiting to write, so he'll be sweet."
MORE: Make your IPL predictions and win prizes via Dafabet
What is Ben Stokes' IPL record?
Stokes made his IPL debut in 2017 when he joined Rising Pune Supergiant and he impressed with both his death bowling and power hitting.
He clattered an unbeaten 103 as RPS recovered from 10/3 to chase down a target of 162 against Gujarat Lions and finished the season with 312 runs and 12 wickets.
At the 2018 auction, he was snapped up by Rajasthan Royals but failed to scale those heights initially. In 2020, he became the first player to score a century in two successful IPL chases when his unbeaten 107 saw Rajasthan past Mumbai Indians.
Stokes was restricted to a solitary game in 2021 as a broken finger suffered while fielding in the opener ruled him out of the rest of the tournament. He skipped the 2022 season to focus on his new role as England Test captain, paving the way for this year's big-money switch to Chennai.
Ben Stokes IPL career in numbers
Batting
| Innings | Runs | High Score | Average | Strike Rate | 50s | 100s | Sixes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43 | 920 | 107 | 25.56 | 134.5 | 2 | 2 | 32 |
Bowling
| Matches | Wickets | Best Innings | Average | Economy | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43 | 28 | 3/15 | 34.79 | 8.56 | 24.39 |
WATCH: 20 Greatest T20 Players Roundtable
