Stokes to miss IPL after skipping auction

England captain Ben Stokes will not take part in next year's Indian Premier League after opting out of the upcoming auction.

Under tighter rules regarding player availability introduced this year, it means the 33-year-old will also be unavailable for the 2026 competition.

Fast bowler Jofra Archer is among the 52 Englishmen who have signed up for the auction, which will be held on 24 and 25 November.

Archer's decision is interesting, given hopes he could return to Test cricket next summer.

Named the IPL's most valuable player in 2020, the 29-year-old has made his comeback from a series of back and elbow injuries this year in white-ball cricket, but it is still hoped he could feature against India next summer and in the 2025-26 Ashes in Australia.

The 2025 IPL will also clash with the early rounds of the County Championship, potentially preventing Archer from proving his fitness in the longer format.

The IPL brought in a new rule this year that means overseas players signed by franchises who later pull out will be banned from the competition for two years.

The dates for the 2025 IPL have not been confirmed. This year it ran from 22 March to 26 May.

After the Champions Trophy concludes in early March, England do not play again until a four-day Test against Zimbabwe on 22 May.

It has also been reported England's leading wicket-taker James Anderson, 42, who retired from international duty in July, has put his name forward for the auction, although this has not been confirmed by the BBC.

Anderson has not played since his final Test against West Indies at Lord's and last played a T20 in 2014.

He has never played in a global T20 franchise league.

The IPL said 1,574 players have signed up for the auction, although it has not released a list of names.

Franchises will shortlist players they are interested in over the coming weeks with a full list published closer to the auction.

No England players were retained by their franchises prior to the auction, with England white-ball captain Jos Buttler among those released.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has not commented on which centrally-contracted players have signed up for the auction.