English all-rounder and World Cup winner Ben Stokes spoke with media house BBC on Wednesday and revealed that in spite of the CoronaVirus crisis, the star all-rounder has been training as much as possible to play in the 13th edition of IPL. The Englishmen say that he knows that the possibility of the 2020 edition of IPL happening right now is highly unlikely due to the spread of the Covid-19 virus.

Argued to be the best all-rounder currently, Ben Stokes plys his trade for the Steve Smith-led Rajasthan Royals.  He is a part of the 13 English players who are all set to feature in the star-studded mega event. The 13th edition of the IPL has been rescheduled from 29th Mach to 15 April due to the pandemic spread of the Covid-19 Virus across the globe and the subcontinent. Indian government hs decide to lock down the whole country as a response for the same.

“At the moment my next competitive cricket is going to be in the IPL. That hasn’t changed yet so I have to think I will be playing on April 20.” Stokes said.

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The England and Wales Cricket Board has earlier announced that the start of the English County season will also be delayed and is now expected to begin in the end week of May. The English Cricket team’s tour to Sri Lanka was also postponed until further notice. With the BCCI and IPL committee yet to announce the future of the mega event, Ben Stokes had decided to keep himself in shape and stay fit to play any kind of a match/format when called upon.

“I have to get my head around that I am playing even though in the back of my mind I know I am probably not.  Have to build up and get myself physically in a position that if it does happen I am good to go. Just cannot take three weeks off and expect the body to be ready for April 20 because it doesn’t work like that. It might happen and if it does I don’t want to be behind.” Stokes said.

“There will be a lot of advice given to us and if it was an option to go we will have to take the sensible one,” he added.

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Ben Stokes revealed that the English player went in a sudden state of shock when they were told that their tour of Sri Lanka has been canceled. Although, the player believes that the decision taken was a correct one under given circumstances.

“Everyone was shell-shocked for half an hour in the changing room. It was such a weird feeling because we had been there for 10-12 days. We were building up to the first Test and then we were going home,” Stokes said.

The English all-rounder ended with, “But when you put everything together in terms of where the world was with the coronavirus, and what was being said on tour, it was the wrong place to be at that time and everyone’s health is more important than anything else in the world.”