Ben Stokes has decided not to participate in the IPL auction.

England Test captain Ben Stokes will not take part in next year’s Indian Premier League after deciding not to participate in this month’s player auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The IPL has confirmed there are 52 Britons among the 1,574 who will go under the hammer on November 24 and 25, but the PA news agency understands Stokes is not included in that number.

Stokes was ruled out of this year’s IPL and T20 World Cup to focus on his fitness and become a full-fledged all-rounder for the Test series against West Indies and Sri Lanka.

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A hamstring injury suffered at The Hundred saw Stokes miss the 2-1 win over Sri Lanka and the opener of the Pakistan series last month, and he appears to be prioritizing England’s Test squad once again.

One wrinkle in Stokes’ decision is that it means he will not be able to compete in the IPL in 2026, with a new rule meaning overseas players who do not participate in this auction will be ineligible next year.

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While Stokes, the most valuable player of the 2017 IPL, was away, there were reports that former England team-mate James Anderson, who has not played a T20 since August 2014, has thrown his hat in the ring. There was.

The 42-year-old holds the record for the most Test wickets by a non-spinner in history and has settled into a coaching role after ending his England career in emotional scenes at Lord’s in July.

But Anderson is yet to officially announce his retirement, telling PA last August that he felt he “could do a job” on the franchise circuit.

The IPL, which was played from March 22 to May 26 this year and is yet to reveal when the 18th edition will begin and end, did not reveal the identities of those who put themselves forward.

Each franchise can have a team of up to 25 players, so there are 204 spots to be filled in the auction, with the full list expected to be published in the next few weeks.

A total of 46 players remained across the 10 teams, none of whom were British. England white-ball captain Jos Buttler has been released after seven seasons with Rajasthan Royals.

The England and Wales Cricket Board did not disclose which of the centrally contracted players took part in the auction.

Read more: Marcus Trescothick knows England’s young players need to play more 50-over cricket.