The BCCI recently released the list of players registered for the highly anticipated IPL 2025 mega-auction in Jeddah, scheduled for November 24 and 25. With 1,574 players in the pool—including 1,165 Indians and 409 overseas stars—some of the biggest names in cricket, like Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, and Glenn Maxwell, are set to go under the hammer. However, one notable absence from the list is England’s Test captain, Ben Stokes, who risks a ban from the 2026 auction as a result.
Ben Stokes Misses Registration, Faces Potential Ban
According to ESPN Cricinfo, Ben Stokes chose not to register for the IPL 2025 auction, likely due to his injury history and preference to focus on red-ball cricket. The English all-rounder, who missed IPL 2024 with a hamstring injury sustained during The Hundred, recently returned to cricket after sitting out several months. While his physical setbacks have influenced his availability, it appears his decision is mainly to prioritize Test cricket.
However, Stokes’ absence from the 2025 auction list may trigger a penalty under the BCCI’s updated IPL rules, making him ineligible for the 2026 auction as well.
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Understanding BCCI’s Revised IPL Rules
The BCCI introduced new rules to prevent players from strategically skipping mega auctions in favor of mini auctions, where demand for marquee players typically spikes. Under these guidelines, any overseas player who skips the mega auction will be barred from participating in the following year’s auction unless they provide medical documentation from their home board.
The rule states:
Any Overseas Player will have to register for the Big Auction. In case the overseas player doesn’t register, then he will be ineligible to register in the following year’s player auction.
Stokes has yet to comment on his unavailability, leaving fans and franchises wondering if he will miss two consecutive IPL seasons.
