England’s two highest-profile cricketers Ben Stokes and Joe Root have decided to not play in the 2024 Indian Premier League and it will be interesting to see how their absence is felt.
Having two such renowned and respected cricketing figures playing in a competition always adds interest and the ability to generate an even wider audience for such a popular tournament.
But, for differing reasons, it could be argued that, out on the field, Stokes and Root are not necessarily going to be missed too much by their respective teams, the Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals.
Chennai Super Kings favorite to win again
When betting on sports, the odds will give you an indication of a team’s perceived chances of success and, given the Super Kings won this year’s IPL without Stokes, the fact it is joint favorite at +500 to win in 2024, alongside Gujarat Titans, suggests it is again going to cope just fine without England’s Test captain. Previews ahead of the competition will also discuss the various teams’ prospects and Paddy Power News provides cricket tips on different tournaments and matches.
Stokes’ decision to not participate in the IPL in 2024, to manage his workload, is certainly understandable and it is a shame that he has not been able to demonstrate his explosive batting ability in the tournament consistently in recent years.
His debut season in the IPL in 2017 still arguably remains his best when he took 12 wickets for Rising Pune Supergiant and scored 316 runs at an average of 31.60, which included an innings of 103 not out against Gujarat Lions. On the back of that season, he became the most expensive player at the 2018 auction when he was bought by Rajasthan Royals.
In 2020, Stokes again impressed with the bat when he scored 285 runs at an average of 40.71 and hit another unbeaten century. But his 2021 IPL was cut short by a finger injury as he faced just three balls before skipping 2022 to focus on Test cricket.
Ahead of the 2023 season, he joined the Super Kings for a big price, only to again struggle with injuries as he scored just 15 runs across two matches. The Super Kings shrugged off his absence as it went on to win the IPL and it will probably be a similar story again in 2024.
Stokes to undergo knee surgery
With Stokes undergoing knee surgery, and England due to play a Test series in India starting in January, the all-rounder’s decision is probably for the best.
The same can be said for Root, who surprisingly only made his IPL debut this year. Having been a key T20 figure for England earlier in his career, Root has played in the format more sparingly in recent years and went unsold at the 2018 IPL auction.
He was bought by Rajasthan Royals for 2023 but he batted just once in three matches, scoring 10 runs from 15 balls. Given his limited contribution in the IPL this year, his decision to withdraw from the tournament makes sense.
The absence of Stokes and Root will also give their respective teams room in the budget at the auction and, while they will undoubtedly be missed in the dressing room, their recent contributions suggest there will be no negative impact on their sides’ results.
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