England Test captain and all-rounder Ben Stokes has marked himself unavailable for the mega auction for a second straight season in a row. The decision comes as the star all-rounder wants to prolong his red-ball career over franchise cricket. As per current IPL regulations, any overseas player opting out of the mega auction will automatically be ineligible for selection in the next year's IPL season. 

Such has been the case with Ben Stokes. As per the player registration list unveiled by the BCCI, there has been no mention of Stokes' name in that list which effectively keeps him out of action till 2027. 

What are these stringent measures introduced now by BCCI?

Traditionally, the BCCI offered a lot of flexibility to the overseas players to omit mega auctions and rather make inroads via mini auctions which would often result in hefty contracts. Stokes, in particular, benefitted the most from this practice. After skipping the 2022 IPL mega auction, Stokes made an entry in the 2023 IPL season and by doing so attracted a whopping contract worth Rs. 16.25 crore bid from the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the mini-auction.

But as the current situation stands, such leeway is now being taken away by the governing authority. This move has been put in place to discourage overseas players from entering the mini-auction at potentially higher bids. Moreover, the screws have been further tightened by the BCCI which will now hand a two-year ban to any player who withdraws after being picked up in the auction. These measures have been reinstated in a bid to foster consistency and dependability within the franchises.

What does the future hold for Stokes & Root? 

Both Stokes and Root will miss out on the upcoming IPL season and will continue to wait on the sidelines till the year 2027. Stokes has been a key asset in the IPL marketplace with his ongoing valuation expected to range between Rs 15-20 crore. Root, on the other hand, was picked for his base price of Rs. 1 crore at the 2023 IPL auction and played three matches for Rajasthan Royals, scoring 10 runs and bowling two overs without picking a wicket. The English duo will have to enter through a likely mini-auction format as per the current regulations.   

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The New Zealand Pacer, Ben Sears has been ruled out of the India test series due to a knee injury. Pacer Jacob Duffy, who is uncapped in Tests has been named as Sears' replacement and will fly to India on Wednesday morning.

Ben Sears experienced pain in his left knee while training during the recent Test series in Sri Lanka and underwent scans in New Zealand last week. According to a New Zealand Cricket Statement, "His departure to India was delayed after scans revealed a tear to his meniscus and the first available medical consultation was sought in the hope that he might have been cleared."

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However, following the medical advice, the decision was made to rule him out of the series. A plan on the best course of treatment and rehabilitation for the injury will be advised in due course.

Jacob Duffy who is Otago's leading wicket-taker has featured in 6 ODIs and 14 T20Is for New Zealand. He currently has 299 first-class wickets to his name.

Head Coach Gary Stead on Ben Sears

“We’re obviously disappointed for Ben who made a strong start to his Test career during the home summer and offers a genuine pace option,” said Stead. “It remains to be seen how long we’ll be without him for, but we’re hopeful his road to a full recovery will be a short one."

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Gary Stead on Jacob Duffy said, "It’s an exciting opportunity for Jacob who has been around Test the squad before. With three Tests ahead of us he has every chance of making his Test debut. Jacob's recent experience playing for Nottinghamshire in the County Championship certainly pushed his place. His performances in white-ball cricket for the BLACKCAPS have always been impressive and we’re confident he'll be able to contribute if called upon.”

Rain Threat Over Bangalore Test

New Zealand will begin their India Tour with the first test being played at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru starting on 16 October. But the weather threatens the rain playing spoilsport during the first test. As the whole week's weather forecast isn't looking good. India's morning training session was washed out. New Zealand completed their training session in the indoor facility of Chinnaswamy premises. The second test will be played in Pune from 24 October and the Final test in Mumbai starting on 1 November on the eve of Diwali.

New Zealand captain Tim Southee has confirmed that Wellington seamer Ben Sears will make his Test debut in the second Test against Australia, which is all set to start on Friday (March 8) in Christchurch. The 26-year-old speedster will come in to replace Will O’Rourke, who was ruled out after sustaining a hamstring injury in New Zealand’s 172-run defeat in the opening Test as well.

“He’s got something about him” – Tim Southee on Ben Sears

“Offers real pace. We saw him clock 150 (kmh) earlier in the summer in a T20 against Bangladesh, so excited to see what he’s got at test level,” Tim Southee said on the eve of the Test. “He’s a tall fella. He’s got pace, he’s got something about him. Obviously the job Will O’Rourke did in the couple of test matches he played… again another tall guy with a bit of pace and skill about him, so excited to see what Ben has got.”

However, Southee didn’t confirm whether this will be the only change for them as well. Notably, New Zealand decided to play an extra seamer in Scott Kuggeleijn on a green-looking track in Wellington and dropped left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner. The decision backfired as the pitch helped Nathan Lyon, who became the first spinner since Muttiah Muralitharan in 2006 to claim a 10-wicket match haul in New Zealand.

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While conditions at the Hagley Oval have helped the pace bowlers, Kuggeleijn wasn’t helpful enough at Wellington and took 2 for 87 in the first innings. Meanwhile, New Zealand captain, Tim Southee who will become the first pace bowler to feature in 100 games in each of the three international formats this week, has claimed just four wickets from his three Tests this year which came at an average of 80.25.

“You always want to be performing at your best and I think there’s no hiding from the fact that the currency we deal in as a bowler is wickets, and the last three Test matches I haven’t got the wickets I would have liked,” he said.

“I still feel like there’s more to it” – Tim Southee

“I still feel like there’s more to it. There’s roles within that as well. I have probably not been where I should be as the most experienced bowler of the side. But like everyone, each week you’re trying to get better. Each week you’re trying to go out and put your best foot forward. Prepare as well as you can to give yourself the best chance and that’s the same over the last couple of days. I’ve done that.”

“I’ve felt okay at times. Sometimes you feel good and you don’t get the wickets. Sometimes you feel not so good and you actually pick up a few wickets. So I think it’s just about trusting your game. Trusting what you do. But there’s no hiding from the fact that the last couple of Test matches have been disappointing. I know that. I’d always like more wickets. And hopefully, there’s some to come,” he concluded.