On Saturday, April 26, Ben Stokes was reportedly seen in the team hotel with the Mumbai Indians (MI) players. The England all-rounder was spotted getting into a car with a Haryana license plate that has the MI team’s insignia on the rearview mirror in a recent social media video. Speculations about Stokes’ potential reunion with the five-time winners and his return to the Indian Premier League (IPL) have been triggered by this video.
This season, the Mumbai Indians got off to a sluggish start once again. They have a good chance of making it to the playoffs, though, because they have accomplished a remarkable turnaround. Five of the nine games the Hardik Pandya-led team has played this season have been victories.
Stokes’ three-dimensional skill set will be a benefit to the five-time winners, so his addition for the rest of the season might be quite beneficial for MI. For cricket fans worldwide, seeing Hardik and Stokes, two of the top seam-bowling all-rounders, play together will be a fascinating possibility.
Watch the viral video of Ben Stokes here
🚨BEN STOKES IN MUMBAI INDIANS👀?
“Ben Stokes was seen with the Mumbai Indians team yesterday at the MI team hotel and when he arrived in Mumbai, Mumbai Indians officials came to pick up him.”👀 pic.twitter.com/yTLNK6ndkg
— 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐢𝐢⁴⁵ (@rushiii_12) April 27, 2025
Fact Check: Is Ben Stokes actually joining MI for the remainder of IPL 2025?
The rumours and speculations have been running wild ever since the video surfaced. Some fans are waiting for an official announcement from MI regarding Stokes’ inclusion. However, the England Test skipper isn’t joining the popular franchise, at least in IPL 2025. The 33-year-old actually came for a promotional shoot alongside Delhi Capitals’ wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul.
KL RAHUL with Ben Stokes in an Interview Shoot for Red Bull yesterday.
Interview will be Published on Times Now. pic.twitter.com/Y58UZN6eSY
— Jyotirmay Das (@dasjy0tirmay) April 25, 2025
The fact that Stokes did not sign up for the IPL 2025 mega-auction is also significant. Such players cannot be directly selected by teams as substitutes during the season. The BCCI Technical Committee must pre-approve any exceptions to the rule that a substitute player may only be selected from the Registered Available Player Pool (RAPP).
Hardik & Co. will be hoping to secure another victory at home to strengthen their standing on the IPL 2025 Points Table when the Mumbai Indians (MI) take on the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, April 27.
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