Stokes last played in IPL in 2023 for CSK.
Why is Ben Stokes not playing in IPL 2026? As the 19th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) gets underway, the fans will be curious by the absence of the English superstar. After all it is a tournament where the world’s biggest cricketing icons compete for the title.
The England Test captain is one of the most polarising names in world cricket, which naturally makes fans wonder why he is not featuring in the grandest T20 league.
Stokes is one of the biggest match-winners in the game, who has helped England win an ODI World Cup and a T20 World Cup title. In Test cricket, he has shaped a new brand of cricket for his team. So why is Ben Stokes not playing in IPL 2026? It’s a question that needs a deeper look.
The England Test skipper was not part of the IPL 2026 auction after receiving a two-year ban by the IPL governing council. Why is Ben Stokes banned from IPL? Stokes had not registered for the IPL 2025 auction to focus on his fitness and workload management to prolong his international career. But that had consequences.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) introduced new regulations in 2024 to curb the misuse of auction dynamics by overseas players. With the supply being short in the mini auction, some overseas players fetched huge amounts after missing the mega auction. To stop players from registering directly in the mini auction, the BCCI brought in the rule.
What does the IPL rule say?
There is an exception to this rule, and that is new players who have not been part of the league before. Case in point, Jamie Smith, who was part of the IPL 2026 auction despite not registering for the mega auction. This rule effectively makes Stokes ineligible to play IPL until the next mega auction in 2028.
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Ben Stokes has featured in only 45 matches in IPL but he has had his moments. In 2017, when he was arguably at the peak of his T20 game, he produced a sensational season for now-defunct Rising Pune SuperGiants. He won the player of the tournament award for his role in taking the team to the final. He was bought by the franchise for a price of INR 14.50 crore. Stokes scored 316 runs in that season at a strike rate of 143 while picking up 12 wickets.
The star all-rounder was bought by Rajasthan Royals for INR 12.50 in the 2018 mega auction. But could not repeat the heroics, giving mediocre returns in two years. He played half the season in 2020, where he averaged 40.71 and struck at 143, including a century. The following year, his stint was cut short after only one game due to a finger injury.
Stokes remained in high demand in the 2023 auction as well, where he was acquired by Chennai Super Kings for a price of INR 16.25 crore. He played two games in the tournament before a knee injury sidelined him.
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