England all-rounder Ben Stokes has said that IPL 2020 is going to be the next competitive cricket that he will play and continues to train for the 13th IPL despite knowing that the T20 league may become yet another sporting event to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ben Stokes gearing up for IPL 2020
Stokes, who was bought by Rajasthan Royals in the 2018 IPL auction for Rs 12.5 crore said, “At the moment my next competitive cricket is going to be in the IPL. That hasn’t changed yet so I have to think I will be playing on April 20.”
He further added, “I have to get my head around that I am playing even though in the back of my mind I know I am probably not. I have to build up and get myself physically in a position that if it does happen I am good to go. I cannot take three weeks off and expect the body to be ready for April 20 because it doesn’t work like that. It might happen and if it does I don’t want to be behind. There will be a lot of advice given to us and if it was an option to go we will have to take the sensible one.”
The league was originally scheduled to start on March 29 in Mumbai, however, was postponed to April 15 to contain the spread of the coronavirus, which has claimed more than 19,000 lives across the globe.
Stokes is one of 13 English players set to take part in the cash-rich tournament and is the second English player after Kolkata Knight Rider’s new buy Tom Banton to confirm his availability for IPL 2020.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had said last week that the county season would not start until at least the end of May, while England’s tour of Sri Lanka was also postponed due to the dreaded disease.
Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) believes that it can still pull off the IPL if things come under control by April end and the first game is played by the first week of May.
