IPL 2020 Latest News: Rajasthan Royals’ Ben Stokes preparing for IPL 2020 amidst coronavirus scare

Ben Stokes preparing for IPL 2020: Royals’ all-rounder is mentally preparing for the tournament to start in the third week of April.

The forthcoming season of the Indian Premier League, which was postponed till April 15 two weeks ago, still doesn’t have a confirmed start date. With India Prime Minister Narendra Modi announcing a nationwide lockdown till April 14, expecting IPL 2020 to start from April 15 would not be pragmatic.

In an interaction with IANS, BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) President Sourav Ganguly had laid emphasis on things not changing making it difficult for him to take a call on the future of IPL 2020.

Ben Stokes preparing for IPL 2020

If another BCCI source is to be believed, first week of May is expected to be the deadline to start the tournament. Despite no clarity on the start date of IPL 2020, England and Rajasthan Royals all-rounder Ben Stokes has started preparing for the cash-rich league.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5live, Stokes laid emphasis on getting physically fit to play IPL 2020 from April 20 despite knowing that it is nearly improbable for the same to happen.

“At the moment my next competitive cricket is going to be the IPL, because that hasn’t changed yet. So I have to think that I’m going to be playing cricket on April 20.

“I have to get my head around that I am playing, even though in the back of my mind I know I’m probably not. I still have to build up and get myself physically in a position that if it does happen, I’m good to go, because I can’t just take three weeks off and expect everything body-wise to get going again for April 20. It doesn’t work like that,” Stokes was quoted as saying by BBC Radio 5live.

Being asked about the travel advice which overseas cricketers will receive before coming to India, Stokes hinted at making the “sensible choice”.

“I don’t know. There would be a lot of advice thrown around and given to us if it was an option to go, and I would have to make the sensible [choice].

“But as I say, taken everything else aside, I just have to think that I’m playing cricket on April 20 because it potentially might happen, and if it does, I don’t want to be behind,” Stokes added.