Ben Stokes unavailable for IPL 2020? Rajasthan Royals provide an update

With the IPL 2020 just days away, Rajasthan Royals (RR) head coach and former Australian cricketer Andrew McDonald claimed that the franchise still has no clue over the availability of the star England all-rounder Ben Stokes for the 13th edition of Indian Premier League (IPL). The 29-year-old had missed England's second and third Tests against Pakistan due to family reasons and was also not part of their T20I and ODI squad which played Australia in three-match series.

The head coach said that the franchise is ready to give an ample amount of time but they are still unsure about Stokes' availability for IPL 2020.

"First and foremost, thoughts with the Stokes family. It's a difficult scenario, so we're giving him as much time as he needs, and connecting with him as best we can," ESPNcricinfo quoted McDonald as saying.

"So yeah, we're not sure where Stokesy's at right now, but once it has played out, then we can make our decisions from there. But I don't want to second-guess what will happen with him just yet," he added.

The IPL 2020 will be played in the UAE from September 19-November 10 and the tournament will run for 53 days.

Rajasthan will face Chennai Super Kings in their opening game on September 22.

(with ANI inputs)