Rajasthan Royals' Ben Stokes likely to miss first part of IPL 2020
Ben Stokes (RPS, RR) -- IPL 2017, 2018
Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 outfit Rajasthan Royals (RR) may start their campaign without the services of Ben Stokes with the England all-rounder set to be unavailable for the tournament for at least the first phase of IPL 2020.
The 29-year-old is currently in New Zealand with his father, Gerard, who was earlier diagnosed with brain cancer. Stokes had flown to his hometown to be with his father, who is also a former New Zealand rugby player and has just completed his 14-day mandatory quarantine period.
Stokes pulled out of the final two Tests against Pakistan and will go on to miss at least the first phase of IPL 2020 and there are chances that he might skip the entire IPL.
Speaking to PTI, a source privy to the development said that RR will not even call Stokes on his availability as the franchise understands his situation while adding discussions can take place later.
"As per quarantine rules in New Zealand, Ben has just completed his 14-day isolation period after reaching New Zealand. Now he will be meeting his father and obviously he would like to spend some quiet time with his family in this time of crisis," the source told PTI.
"It is only logical that if he has just completed his quarantine, he would not be available for the first part of the IPL and that is completely understandable. The franchise will not even call Ben as this is not priority at the moment. Let him spend quality family time and any discussions on his availability can happen only after that.".
Stokes was roped in by Rajasthan Royals for a whopping INR 12.5 crore in IPL 2018 auction and went on to amass 196 runs while picking up eight wickets in his inaugural season for the franchise. In IPL 2019, Stokes failed to leave a lasting impact before flying back to England to prepare for CWC 2019.
According to the BCCI SOP, Stokes will have to undergo self-isolation for six days after landing in the UAE if he decides to play the IPL. The franchise can call for a replacement if Stokes is unavailable for the entire IPL.