England Test captain Ben Stokes is not risking his fitness for this summer’s Ashes against Australia by playing in the Indian Premier League, according to Coach Brendon McCullum.

Stokes struggled with his left knee during England’s one-run defeat by New Zealand in the second Test.

The 31-year-old has confirmed he will play for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, which starts on 31 March.

According to BBC Sport, all-rounder Stokes was only able to bowl two overs in Wellington, then struggled physically while batting on the final day. He scored 33 from 116 balls as England fell agonisingly short of their target of 258 in one of the greatest finishes in Test history.

Stokes said the injury is “incredibly frustrating” and confirmed he knows what the problem is but would not reveal it.

This season will be his first at the IPL since 2021, when he suffered a badly broken finger playing for Rajasthan Royals.

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