Ben Stokes likely to give IPL 2022 auction a miss after England's humiliating Ashes defeat 

England all-rounder Ben Stokes might not feature in the forthcoming Indian Premier League auction. The player is considering giving the upcoming season of the Indian T20 extravaganza a miss, just like his Test skipper Joe Root.

The 30-year-old wants to prioritize England's Test form following their winless run in the recently-concluded Ashes 2021-22 series in Australia, as per recent reports from the English media.

Stokes was part of the Rajasthan Royals in the previous edition of the cash-rich league. However, he was ruled out of the second phase, as he took an indefinite break from the game to focus on his mental health. He was not retained by the inaugural champions ahead of the IPL 2022 auction.

The Englishman has established himself as a top attraction in India's flagship T20 tournament, thanks to his impactful all-round performances over the years. Stokes was also expected to be on the radar of many franchises this year given his impressive record in white-ball cricket.

The swashbuckler has 920 runs to his name from 43 IPL matches, including two stunning centuries. Stokes has picked up 28 wickets in the league and has an economy rate of 8.55.

"I'll keep sacrificing as much as I can because I care so much about Test cricket" - Joe Root

After the 5th Ashes Test, Joe Root confirmed he will not put forward his name for the IPL 2022 auction. The skipper spoke about how he would sacrifice such opportunities in order to focus more on the longer format.

Root stated that he intends to put all of his energy into rebuilding the English Test side after being trounced by the Aussies. He added that he wants to give everything until the time he is at the helm of England's red-ball team.

Here's what Joe Root said in the post-match conference after the 5th Ashes Test:

"There's a lot that we need to do for this team, which deserves all of my energy. I'll keep sacrificing as much as I can because I care so much about Test cricket in our country and trying to get us to where we want to be."

A total of 10 teams will participate in the upcoming IPL 2022 mega-auction. The highly-anticipated event is scheduled to be held in Bangalore on February 12 and 13.