England Test captain Ben Stokes has revealed that his decision to skip the IPL 2025 mega auction was driven by the desire to prolong his international career. Stokes was notably absent from the list of 52 English players who registered for the auction held in Jeddah. The all-rounder, who will turn 35 in 2026, acknowledged that he's entering the latter stages of his cricketing career and wants to manage his workload to continue playing for England.

This decision by Stokes means he will not feature in the IPL until at least 2026, effectively ruling him out of the prestigious tournament for another year as he focuses on prolonging his career for England.

Stokes, who missed the IPL 2024 season for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) due to injury and workload concerns, emphasized the importance of looking after his body. Speaking to BBC Sport ahead of England’s first Test against New Zealand in Christchurch, Stokes said:

"[There is] just so much cricket,there's no hiding behind the fact that I'm at the back-end of my career. I obviously want to play as long as I possibly can. Looking after my body and looking after myself as much as I can is key to that."

While opting out of the IPL, Stokes will be participating in the SA20, South Africa’s T20 league, which offers a shorter schedule compared to the two-month-long IPL. The SA20 runs from January 9 to February 8, 2025

"[It is about] prioritising games and when I do play - obviously I'm in South Africa this year - so it's about looking at what I've got ahead and making the decision that I think is right for me to be able to prolong my career as long as possible. I want to wear this England shirt for as long as I can." He said.