Rajasthan Royals might face a major blow as their star all-rounder Ben Stokes is likely to miss the first few matches of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020. The southpaw is currently in New Zealand with his ailing father Ged, who has been diagnosed with brain cancer. Stokes has finished his mandatory 14-day quarantine after reaching New Zealand and is likely to spend a decent amount of time with his father. Also, he'll have to serve quarantine again on his arrival in UAE which means that the star all-rounder is all set to miss the first few games of the gala tournament. Ben Stokes' Father, Gerard, Suffering From Brain Cancer; England All-Rounder Says 'I Didn't Sleep for a Week' As He Arrives in New Zealand.

"As per quarantine rules in New Zealand, Ben has just completed his 14-day isolation period after reaching New Zealand. Now he will be meeting his father and obviously he would like to spend some quiet time with his family in this time of crisis," a source privy to developments in the franchise told news agency PTI on conditions of anonymity. RR Team Profile for IPL 2020: Rajasthan Royals Squad in UAE, Stats & Records and Full List of Players.

"It is only logical that if he has just completed his quarantine, he would not be available for the first part of the IPL and that is completely understandable. The franchise will not even call Ben as this is not priority at the moment. Let him spend quality family time and any discussions on his availability can happen only after that," the source added further.

Rajasthan Royals bought stokes for a whopping 12.5 crore in IPL 2018 auctions. Also, his performances in the past year have been nothing short of staggering. Hence, his absence will undoubtedly affect the Steve Smith-led time in the first few games. (With PTI Inputs)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 07, 2020 05:23 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).