Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have suffered a big blow even ahead of IPL 2023 as their star all-rounder Ben Stokes has confirmed that he will leave the tournament early.
The four-time champion team, CSK, will kick-start their campaign with an opening clash against the defending champion, Gujarat Titans, on March 31.
Stokes said that he will return to England to lead the team against Ireland in a one-off Test match before the start of the Ashes. The Ireland Test is set to start on June 1, while according to the schedule for IPL 2023 released by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) last week, the summit clash will take place on May 28.
“Yes, I’ll play,” Stokes told reporters when asked if he will play the Ireland Test. “I’ll be making sure that I give myself enough time to get back and play that [Ireland] game.”
Stokes last featured in the IPL in 2021. He played just one game that year before an injury ruled him out of the competition. In 2022, he had taken an indefinite break from the game that saw him miss the IPL as well.
The likes of Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Jonny Bairstow and Harry Brook are among some of the big names who will participate in the upcoming IPL edition but they are also likely to be part of England’s side for the Ireland Test.
Stokes added: “I’ll probably get round the individuals and ask them what they want to be ready 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.”
Stokes’ statement is a big setback for CSK because New Zealand all-rounder Kyle Jamieson was recently ruled out for the entire season after sustaining a back injury.
