Ben Stokes set to join up with Rajasthan Royals

The allrounder has not played since England’s first Test against Pakistan at the start of August, after which he flew to New Zealand to spend time with his family

Ben Stokes is set to join up with Rajasthan Royals as he makes his Indian Premier League return following a spell away from the game for on compassionate grounds.

The allrounder has not played since England’s first Test against Pakistan at the start of August, after which he flew to New Zealand to spend time with his family in Christchurch.

As a result, it was seen to be unlikely that he would be involved in Royals’ IPL campaign in the UAE, especially given the need for Stokes to quarantine upon his arrival at the tournament.

However, that appeared to change on Saturday morning. Stokes posted three photos on Instagram, showing him and his family alongside the caption: ‘Goodbyes never get easier.’

Royals followed up, tweeting: “Hi guys, quick question. How long does it take from Christchurch to UAE,” while also sharing a photo of Stokes wearing a mask on an aeroplane. They captioned the image: “Stoked” and replied to a message on Twitter with “He is back”.

The 29-year-old will not be immediately available, given the quarantine regulations, but he will link up with England colleagues Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer and Tom Curran.

Before his departure from England’s international summer, Stokes had enjoyed a fruitful Test series against West Indies, captaining in Joe Root’s absence in the first game of the summer, before making 176 and 78 in the second Test in a match-winning effort.

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