Chennai Super Kings are set to release Ben Stokes ahead of IPL 2024 auction due to his unavailability for IPL 2024. The star all-rounder was bought for a whopping Rs 16.25 crore last year but played just two games that season because of a knee injury.
Stokes has been hit by injuries which has hampered his availability. Even in the ICC World Cup 2023, the left-hand batter could not play the first few games because of a hip niggle.
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Stokes will undergo knee surgery after the World Cup and require a two-month recovery period. Chennai Super Kings won’t risk his availability for the upcoming season.
CSK management has spoken to Ben Stokes who plans to join IPL after the World Cup. They haven’t contacted him directly yet, and his manager’s response to his availability for IPL is unclear.
A CSK official stated, “We hold Stokes in the highest regard and consider him a big match player. If he is available, we will not release him. However, if he is unable to play this season, we will have blocked Rs 16 crore that we could have used to acquire some quality players.”
There was also speculation about a trade between Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore involving Shardul Thakur and Harshal Patel. However, it is confirmed that no such trade will take place.
The auctions will take place on December 19 in