Is Ben Stokes retired from T20: Will Ben Stokes play IPL 2023?

Is Ben Stokes retired from T20: The England Test captain announced his decision to retire from the ODI format on Monday.

During the ongoing first ODI of South Africa’s tour of England at the Riverside Ground in Chester-Le-Street, England’s flamboyant all-rounder Ben Stokes got dismissed at an individual score of 5 (11) in what was his final One-Day international match ever.

Having announced his decision to retire from the format on Monday, it was South Africa’s part-time off-spinner Aiden Markram who dismissed the local boy from Durham for the one final time in the format.

Stokes arrived at this difficult decision with a long-term view to sustain himself for as long as possible in the Test format, after being appointed England’s full-time Test skipper around three months ago.

While announcing his decision, he also expressed his inability to give his 100% to his teammates in the format due to the jam-packed international schedule, something which has now become a topic of intense debate and discussion with respect to players’ well-being and sustenance.

Is Ben Stokes retired from T20

Taking to his social media handle to announce the decision, Stokes explicitly mentioned that he is set to retire only from the ODI format of the game, and that he would continue to play the remaining two international formats.

“I will give everything I have to Test cricket, and now, with this decision, I feel I can also give my total commitment to the T20 format,” exclaimed Stokes while announcing his decision to retire from ODIs.

Thus, with the T20 World Cup in Australia just three months away, Stokes will be available for selection in the England team squad.

Will Ben Stokes play IPL 2023?

The decision has also meant that Stokes might well also be available to participate in IPL 2023. Currently not part of any of the ten IPL franchises, it remains to be seen if he would be drafted into any of the squads, or a mini auction would take place for him along with the rest of the players available for selection, although the likelihood of the latter happening is highly unlikely.

It is worth of a mention that Stokes had opted his name out of IPL 2022 this year owing to his decision to prioritize Test Cricket, after England were handed a 0-4 drubbing by Australia in the Ashes Test series.