Stokes set for IPL return

BEN STOKES could be in Indian Premier League action in a week after ending his compassionate leave in New Zealand to join up with Rajasthan Royals.

The 29-year-old has spent the past six weeks in Christchurch but posted a photograph of himself with his dad Ged and older brother James in an airport departure lounge captioned ‘goodbyes never get easier’.

Stokes has not played since England’s first Test victory over Pakistan in early August, spending time with his ill father, who has brain cancer.

Rajasthan told their £1.4million-a-season star to take his time in returning but he now appears on course to make the seventh of their 14 group games, against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Dubai a week today.

The Royals do have a match in the meantime, versus Delhi in Sharjah on Friday, but players coming from outside ‘cricket bubbles’ overseas must self-isolate for six days upon their arrival in the UAE and return three negative coronavirus tests. Stokes was scheduled to check into the Royals hotel in the early hours of this morning.

Meanwhile, the ECB have added a second reserve day for yesterday’s washed-out Twenty20 finals.

While their preference is to get Gloucestershire versus Surrey and Lancashire v Nottinghamshire, plus a final, played as five-over contests at Edgbaston today, should rain prevent at least one semi-final being completed they will try again from scratch on Wednesday. In the event of the first match being completed, the competition will conclude today, with the second semi and final decided by bowl-outs if necessary.

CHRIS WOAKES has been named the PCA’s player of the year and Zak Crawley young player of year.