Ben Stokes' IPL future back in focus after international retirement

Ben Stokes' retirement from international cricket has brought the curtain down on one of the finest careers in modern cricket. The England all-rounder confirmed that his ongoing Test against New Zealand would be his last international appearance, ending a 15-year journey with England.

While Ben Stokes' exploits for England will define his legacy, he also left a significant mark on the Indian Premier League despite featuring in only 45 matches across seven seasons. From winning the Most Valuable Player award in his debut IPL season to his brief stint with Chennai Super Kings, Stokes' IPL story has been filled with memorable moments, injuries, and long absences.

A dream start with Rising Pune Supergiant

Ben Stokes entered the IPL in 2017 when Rising Pune Supergiant secured his services ahead of the season. The move immediately paid dividends. rouesnews.click

The England star enjoyed one of the best debut seasons by an overseas all-rounder in IPL history. Playing 12 matches, he scored 316 runs at a strike rate of 142.98 and also picked up 12 wickets.

His standout moment came against Gujarat Lions when he smashed an unbeaten 103 off just 63 balls, registering his maiden T20 century. He finished the season as the IPL 2017 Most Valuable Player, establishing himself as one of the most sought-after players in franchise cricket.

Rajasthan Royals years and the famous century

Rajasthan Royals broke the bank to sign Stokes ahead of IPL 2018, making him one of the most expensive players in that auction.

His first season with the franchise was modest by his standards, but he remained an important member of the side. Across the 2018 and 2019 campaigns, he contributed with both bat and ball while continuing to provide balance as a genuine all-rounder.

His finest IPL knock came in the 2020 season when he hammered an unbeaten 107 against Mumbai Indians. Ben Stokes shared a match-winning 152-run partnership with Sanju Samson that remains one of Rajasthan Royals' most memorable stands. That season saw him score 285 runs in eight matches at an average above 40 and a strike rate of 142.50.

Injury setbacks and an inconsistent IPL run

Just when it appeared Ben Stokes had settled into a long IPL career, injuries and international commitments began to limit his participation.

A finger injury ruled him out after playing only one match in IPL 2021. He then opted out of IPL 2022 to focus on England's Test cricket commitments as he prepared for life as captain.

By that stage, managing workload had become a recurring theme in Ben Stokes' career, especially given his importance to England across formats.

The Chennai Super Kings chapter

Chennai Super Kings invested INR 16.25 crore to bring Stokes into their squad for IPL 2023. The move generated huge excitement, with many expecting him to become a key figure under MS Dhoni. However, things never really clicked.

A knee injury restricted his role throughout the tournament. He played only two matches, scoring 15 runs and bowling just one over without taking a wicket.

Ben Stokes later left the CSK camp before the playoffs as part of a pre-planned arrangement to prepare for England's Test summer. Despite Chennai eventually winning the title, he had little opportunity to influence their campaign.

Why Ben Stokes skipped IPL 2024 and IPL 2025?

Stokes did not participate in IPL 2024 and IPL 2025. The England captain chose to prioritise Test cricket, manage his physical workload, and extend his playing career. He was also absent from the IPL 2025 mega auction pool, making it clear that international commitments remained his priority at the time.

Those decisions meant his IPL career effectively remained frozen at 45 matches, 935 runs, two centuries, 28 wickets, and a strike rate of 133.95.

Will Ben Stokes return to IPL?

That question has gained fresh attention following his retirement from international cricket. Speaking to BBC Test Match Special, Stokes confirmed that he has no plans to stop playing cricket altogether.

"Yes, I am... [I will be] going back and playing a little bit of county cricket and other opportunities that there is at the moment," he said.

Those comments leave the door open for franchise cricket in the future. Ben Stokes has already confirmed he will continue playing for Durham, while opportunities in leagues around the world could now become more realistic without the demands of international cricket.

Nothing has been confirmed regarding a return to the IPL, but for the first time in several years, the possibility appears more realistic than before.

A short IPL career that still produced memorable moments

Ben Stokes' IPL numbers may not match some of the league's longest-serving overseas stars, but his impact was undeniable.

The unbeaten century for Rising Pune Supergiant, the MVP-winning debut season, and his match-winning hundred for Rajasthan Royals remain standout moments. Injuries and England commitments prevented him from building a longer IPL legacy, but whenever he was available, he remained one of the competition's most influential all-rounders.

Now retired from international cricket, Stokes finally has the freedom to consider opportunities that previously had to take a back seat. Whether that includes one final IPL chapter remains a story worth watching over the next few auction cycles.

Harshavardhan GB became India's 97th Grandmaster, ending a six-year wait since earning his IM title in 2020. Nicknamed "legend" by his chess peers for his creative brilliance, the 22-year-old overcame repeated near-misses, financial struggles and travel hardships. Backed by his family and coaches, Harshavardhan's emotional breakthrough has now set him on the path towards becoming a super Grandmaster.

In the Women's T20 World Cup 2026 match against Australia, Team India suffered a loss by six wickets at the Lord's Cricket Ground in the City of Westminster.

Despite suffering a loss, Team India's star all-rounder Deepti Sharma scripted history. During the match, she claimed one wicket by conceding 31 runs in four overs.

With this, she etched her name in the record books by becoming the highest wicket-taker in women's international cricket history.

The official social media handle of the International Cricket Council (ICC) has shared a post. "Atop the summit! Deepti Sharma scales another historic milestone to become the leading wicket-taker in women's international cricket," read the post's caption.

𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐏 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐈𝐓! 🔝

Deepti Sharma scales another historic milestone to become the leading wicket-taker in women's international cricket 🫡 pic.twitter.com/I9rVl3dGbM

— ICC (@ICC) June 28, 2026

Currently, she has a total of 356 international wickets. She surpassed former Team India cricketer Jhulan Goswami (355 wickets) to achieve the feat.

Women's T20 World Cup 2026, India vs Australia: Match summary

Batting first, the "Women in Blue" posted a total of 170 runs for the loss of four wickets in 20 overs. Star batswoman Smriti Mandhana scored 38 runs in 37 balls, including six boundaries. Fellow opening batswoman Shafali Verma also accumulated 34 runs in 26 deliveries, laced with three boundaries and two maximums.

Facing 28 balls, Jemimah Rodrigues played a knock of 34 runs in 28 balls, with the help of a boundary and a maximum. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur garnered 56 runs off 27 deliveries, laced with six boundaries and three maximums.

Australia's captain Sophie Molineux claimed two wickets by conceding 46 runs in her quota of four overs.

Later in the second essay of the game, Australia's wicketkeeper-batswoman Beth Mooney registered 22 runs in 20 balls, and also smashed two boundaries. Phoebe Litchfield scored 24 runs in 25 balls, including two boundaries and a maximum.

Superstar batswoman Ellyse Perry faced 38 balls and smashed 56 runs. Her knock included eight boundaries. Ashleigh Gardner also played an unbeaten knock of 53 runs in 29 balls, including three boundaries and the same number of maximums.

Team India's Shree Charani returned with the figures of two wickets for 32 runs in four overs. Renuka Singh and Deepti Sharma also claimed one wicket each.

With this, the Harmanpreet Kaur-led Team India didn't qualify for the semi-finals of the ongoing global showpiece.

The title clash of the tournament is scheduled to be played on July 5 at the Lord's Cricket Ground in the City of Westminster.

(With ANI Inputs)

London [UK], June 29 (ANI): India women’s team head coach Amol Muzumdar said the side needs to rethink its approach in the shortest format as it looks to recover from the disappointment of failing to qualify for the knockout stage of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 edition.

India suffered a heartbreaking six-wicket loss to Australia at Lord’s with Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner hammering match-winning half-centuries during the 171-run chase.

After losing the one-sided contest by six wickets, the Harmanpreet Kaur-led Women in Blue were eliminated from the marquee tournament.

Acknowledging the tactical demands of T20 cricket, Muzumdar said India will need to make adjustments to their strategy if they are to keep pace with leading teams in the format, such as Australia.

“I think we really have to rethink our strategy for our T20 game," the India coach said after the loss to Australia, as quoted by ICC. “We really need to put our heads around what combinations we are going to play."

Muzumdar suggested experienced skipper Harmanpreet Kaur should continue as captain of the side, but indicated that the decision was entirely up to selectors.

Pressed further on the exact changes that India required in T20 cricket, Muzumdar highlighted the side’s bowling and fielding as areas that needed prompt improvement.

“With the bat, I think we have been batting with a lot of intent," he said, as quoted by ICC. “We have been positive in our thinking. We have been thinking about fours and sixes. As modern-day cricket is all about, I guess T20 cricket is all about fours and sixes. And so we have been thinking and we have been playing in that fashion for sure.

“It’s just that I think our bowling also needs to up the ante a little bit. I don’t think our bowling or our fielding helped the cause, to be very honest. So I guess we need to really go back and think about how we’re going to approach the T20 game and also be in that positive frame of mind," the India women’s coach added.

Muzumdar noted that India’s bowling unit is still relatively young, with top-ranked T20I bowler Sree Charani and pacer Kranti Gaud both under the age of 23.

He also highlighted the setback caused by the absence of spinner Shreyanka Patil, who missed the crucial match against Australia after sustaining an ankle injury earlier in the tournament.

“If you look at our bowling attack, it’s been very inexperienced as far as international cricket is concerned," he noted.

“So I’ve said this before in the previous press conference that give us 18 months and this attack will be a different one," Muzumdar added. (ANI)

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Belfast [Ireland], June 29 (ANI): India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has backed 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as being absolutely ready for international cricket, while stressing the need for continuity and patience in team selection following India’s 2-0 T20I series whitewash to Ireland, reported Cricinfo.

Speaking after the Men in Blue were whitewashed, ten Doeschate said there was no doubt about Sooryavanshi’s potential at the highest level, but added that he would have to wait for his opportunity.

“He’s absolutely ready to play international cricket, there’s no doubt about that," ten Doeschate said, as quoted by Cricinfo.

Sooryavanshi was fast-tracked into the national T20I side after a spectacular IPL 2026 season, where he finished with the Player of the Tournament honours for his 776 runs in 16 innings, scored at 237.30.

The national selectors said he had forced their hand with his outrageous talent and performances, but the team management has not been as quick to put him into the first XI during their shock series defeat to Ireland.

However, the India assistant coach underlined that experienced players such as Sanju Samson could not be overlooked, citing their recent contributions.

“But also, I think it’s not a question to say you can leave Sanju Samson out. A guy who went a long way to winning India the World Cup three months ago. A guy who’s had a fairly good IPL," he said.

Ten Doeschate further emphasised the importance of maintaining a stable dressing room environment and giving players an extended run in the side.

“It’s important in terms of giving players confidence, and the message we’re sending to players. We want to give guys a long run in the team," he said.

He added that despite the excitement around Sooryavanshi, the young batter must follow the same pathway as others in the setup.

“As ready as Vaibhav is and as excited as we are and you are to see him play, he’s going to have to go through the same process as everyone else and bide his time and wait," he said.

“But certainly no questions about how good he is and how ready he is," ten Doeschate added.

The series triumph marked Ireland’s first-ever series victory over India in any format. In the process, they not only defeated the reigning T20 World Cup champions but also ended India’s remarkable 16-series winning streak in T20Is.

Chasing 155 in a must-win contest, India fell just short, finishing on 153/9 to lose by one run. Earlier, despite a superb spell from Prince Yadav (3/22), who helped restrict Ireland to 154/8, India’s batters could not get the job done. (ANI)

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