Ben Stokes Faces Competition From KKR Star For Most-Expensive BBL Player Tag

Ben Stokes - (Source: AFP)

It has been over a month since Ben Stokes announced his international retirement. The former England captain is ready to bounce back into action and is exploring options in franchise cricket. In the latest events, several BBL clubs, including the Sydney Sixers, have expressed their interest in the 35-year-old.

BBL 2026-27 season is all set to begin on December 12, and the franchises have begun targeting overseas talents. Ben Stokes will be a hot target, and several teams other than Sydney Sixers have also shown interest. However, he faces competition from KKR star for the most-expensive BBL player tag.

Sydney Sixers And Hobart Hurricanes To Fight For Ben Stokes

A report from CodeSports mentioned that Sydney Sixers and Hobart Hurricanes are all set to enter a bidding war for Ben Stokes, which will make the former England player the most expensive player in BBL history.

The report added that the teams might offer Ben Stokes a $600,000 Australian Dollar deal, which will make him the most-expensive player in BBL. 

Finn Allen Also Competing With Ben Stokes For Most-Expensive Player Tag

The same report from CodeSports also mentioned that Finn Allen is another player who is in a race with Ben Stokes to become the highest-paid player in BBL history. The New Zealand batter is having the year of his life as he produced a brilliant IPL season.

Allen scored 349 runs in 11 innings for KKR in IPL 2026, he scored a century as well. Notably, Allen played for Perth Scorchers in the last two seasons, but  Adelaide Strikers and the Melbourne Stars are pushing to secure Allen’s service.

Finn Allen is also said to be given a $600,000 contract, same as Ben Stokes. Allen smashed 466 runs at a strike rate of 184.18 for the Scorchers last summer, topping the competition charts as Perth claimed a sixth men’s BBL title.

Allen was reportedly previous on a deal worth $420,000 per season with the Perth Scorchers. However, his deal will also depend on Ben Stokes, who is most likely to reunite with Matthew Mott at Sydney Sixers.

Ben Stokes Likely To Reunite With Matthew Mott At Sydney Sixers

Notably, Sydney Sixers have roped in former England coach Matthew Mott as their next head coach for BBL 2026-27. Matthew Mott has worked a lot with Ben Stokes, which is why the coach wants to bring in the 35-year-old to build the team around him.

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Matthew Mott was England’s head coach when the Three Lions won the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, and Ben Stokes slammed a half-century in the final against Pakistan. 

If Stokes’ move to Sixers’, then he will play alongside the likes of Babar Azam, Steve Smith, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc. Ben Stokes will be returning to Australia’s premier T20 League after 12 years, as he last played for Melbourne Renegades in the 2014-15 season.

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