IPL 2020: Why is Ben Stokes not playing this season?

Inaugural IPL winners Rajasthan Royals have kicked off their IPL 2020 campaign with two wins in two matches. The Steve Smith-led franchise has posted totals of over 200 in both of their games, with Sanju Samson and Rahul Tewatia backing up the skipper to perfection in the batting unit.

Jos Buttler missed the first match of IPL 2020 because of quarantine, and although he looked out of touch against Kings XI Punjab, the Englishman can be backed to fire all cylinders as the tournament progresses. Besides, Jofra Archer has also shown that he can clear the boundary at will in the slog overs.

Rajasthan Royals have a stellar batting lineup, but they will miss their star all-rounder Ben Stokes when they play matches outside Sharjah, especially considering that the all-rounder has been in terrific touch over the past 12-14 months.

Ben Stokes played a massive role in England's 2019 World Cup win and followed it up with a brilliant performance in the 2019 Ashes. Unfortunately, Ben Stokes has so far been unavailable to take part in IPL 2020, owing to personal reasons.

Ben Stokes is in New Zealand; could potentially miss few more IPL 2020 matches

Ben Stokes had flown to New Zealand to meet his father, who has been diagnosed with brain cancer. He did not play for England in the second and the third Test against Pakistan, while the all-rounder also missed the limited-overs series against Australia.

The all-rounder has completed his 14-day quarantine in New Zealand and is spending quality time with his family. A source had confirmed that Stokes would miss the first part of IPL 2020. His franchise Rajasthan Royals, have also backed his decision.

Check out the IPL 2020 schedule here

If everything goes well, fans can expect Ben Stokes to fly to the United Arab Emirates in October and don the Rajasthan jersey in IPL 2020. It is noteworthy that Stokes will have to undergo a mandatory six-day quarantine after reaching the Gulf nation.