Ben Stokes Set To U-turn On ODI Retirement For 2023 World Cup, May Skip IPL 2024: Report

England 's Test captain and esteemed all-rounder, Ben Stokes , is poised to make a surprising return from retirement to participate in the ODI World Cup hosted in India . He's willing to forgo a season of the lucrative IPL , as reported by British daily 'The Telegraph'.

The newspaper states, "Ben Stokes is prepared to make a sensational U-Turn and reverse his one-day international retirement to help England's World Cup defence in India this year, even if it means missing out on next season's Indian Premier League."

Stokes, the Test captain of England, seems open to the idea of joining the World Cup if invited by white-ball captain Jos Buttler . The publication elaborates, "The England Test captain now appears willing to play World Cup if he is asked by white-ball captain Jos Buttler ."

The decision to potentially bypass his Rs 16 crore annual IPL deal with CSK is due to the impending five-Test series against India, scheduled from January 25 to March 11. Balancing this extensive commitment along with a two-month IPL stint until the end of May, resulting in nearly five months in India seems infeasible for Stokes.

With a looming knee surgery on the horizon, the IPL window presents an opportune moment for recovery, ensuring Stokes' return to competitive cricket and sustained leadership for England in the years ahead. "While concern lingers over Stokes's knee which might require operation at some stage, Telegraph Sport understands that he would be prepared to miss next season's IPL if he needed a gap in his schedule to help him recover."

Commencing their campaign on October 5 in Ahmedabad against New Zealand, the 32-year-old Stokes, who has accumulated 105 ODIs for his country before retiring from the format last year, might temporarily resurface solely for this tournament, bolstering Buttler's squad in their quest to recapture the trophy won in 2019. Notably, Stokes was hailed as the Player of the Final in the last edition held on home soil.

The report also indicates that, if necessary, Stokes will assume the role of a specialist batter in the middle order. It explains, "Stokes is likely to bat in the middle order for England ODI side. Amid fears of how much bowling he could do, England is prepared to pick him as specialist batsman, replicating the role he performed at stages during this summer's Ashes series."