Ben Stokes among 3 big signings for MI Cape Town ahead of SA20 2025

England Test captain and star all-rounder Ben Stokes is among the three big signings by MI Cape Town ahead of the SA20 2025 season. The other two signings are New Zealand new-ball seamer Trent Boult and Afghanistan all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai.

It emerged a few weeks ago that MI Cape Town had offered a hefty contract of ₹8.65 crore to the 33-year-old. It will also be the first stint for the trio of Stokes, Boult and Azmatullah in the SA20.

Notably, Boult has also been a part of MI Cape Town's sister franchise Mumbai Indians in IPL in the past. He now plays for MI Emirates in International League T20 and MI New York in the Major League Cricket.

Their other pre-signed overseas players are Rashid Khan, Nuwan Thushara, and Chris Benjamin. The domestic stars are Kagiso Rabada, Dewald Brevis, Rassie van der Dussen, George Linde, Ryan Rickleton, Delano Potgieter, Thomas Kaber and Connor Esterhuizen.

Ben Stokes currently nursing a hamstring injury

Ben Stokes is nursing a hamstring tear sustained during The Hundred 2024 game between the Northern Superchargers and Manchester Originals. As a result, he has been ruled out of England's upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka.

With the 33-year-old raring to be fit for the three-Test tour of Pakistan in October, it's uncertain if he will appear in the SA20. The Durham all-rounder had also been struggling with a knee injury since February 2023 during the two-Test tour of New Zealand.

He played the 2023 World Cup with the same injury and underwent surgery ahead of the five-Test series in India. He bowled in full tilt during the recent series against the West Indies before suffering the hamstring tear.

The third edition of the SA20 will commence on January 9 and will go on till February 8. SunRisers Eastern Cape won both previous editions, beating Pretoria Capitals and Durban Super Giants in the final respectively.