Ben Stokes keeps IPL comeback door open
On June 28, 2026, Ben Stokes announced his international retirement at the age of 35. The star all-rounder made an unexpected decision in the third Test against New Zealand. More than age and fitness, the decision was based on the recent nightclub scandal, which resulted in his suspension for the second Test.
Ben Stokes returned to play for his home team, Durham, after retiring. Stokes is currently playing in the England One Day Cup for Durham, where he scored a century.
Ben Stokes of Durham faced Derbyshire on July 21. Stokes showed that he still had it by hitting a 123-ball century. The 35-year-old helped his team to a comfortable five-wicket victory.
After the match, the Durham coach announced that Stokes will be eligible for most One-Day Matches.He is now a retired Test superstar who has returned to duty for Durham, so we will basically plot a route that will include playing in the One-Day Cup and as many of the six four-day matches as possible,” Campbell told BBC Radio Tees.
“We’ll obviously keep an eye on him if his loads increase significantly, but he’s tough. “At this point, he’ll play every game we can,” he said.
Ben Stokes set to return to the Indian Premier League
During the same conversation, the Durham coach revealed that Ben Stokes is open to franchise cricket. Ben has not played in a T20 competition since 2023 owing to injury and national obligations.But, just listening to him, there will be a couple of franchise worlds where he will want to dip his toes, and with that, plus our stuff, I believe it will be fairly interesting for him,” Campbell told the reporters.
Ben Stokes last played in the IPL in 2023, for the Chennai Super Kings. However, the all-rounder was injured for the majority of the competition and played only two games that season.
Is Ben Stokes allowed to return to the IPL?
Ben withdrew from the IPL auction in 2024, and the former England captain was barred from competing in the tournament for two years under the most recent BCCI rules. However, the 35-year-old has completed his sentence and is now eligible to register for the IPL 2027 mini-auction.
Several IPL teams are looking for an excellent and dependable all-rounder. CSK, KKR, and MI lack a true all-rounder, so they can target the 35-year-old if he registers for the IPL 2027 auction.
Stokes prioritises Durham above The Hundred.
Interestingly, while franchise cricket has expressed an interest in Ben Stokes, the Durham native has yet to register for England’s premier franchise league, The Hundred. Stokes last played for the Northern Superchargers (now Sunrisers Leeds) in 2024.
Stokes elected to focus on his fitness and play 50-over domestic cricket for Durham instead of The Hundred 2026.
