Ben Stokes is set to take part in this year's Indian Premier League after Rajasthan Royals indicated the England all-rounder is en route to the United Arab Emirates from New Zealand.
Stokes left England's bio-secure bubble at Emirates Old Trafford following a Test win over Pakistan in August to return to the country of his birth and spend time with his family after his father Ged's brain cancer diagnosis.
He played no further part in England's truncated summer schedule and was doubtful for the rearranged IPL campaign, which got under way in the UAE on September 19 with Stokes' Royals playing their fourth fixture on Saturday.
He had a low-key outing as England chased down 277 to beat Pakistan in Manchester but missed the remaining two Tests and the limited-overs series against Australia after going to New Zealand – where his parents still live.
The exact reason behind Stokes' departure was not made public at the time but his father subsequently revealed he had been diagnosed with brain cancer in January.
"I didn't sleep for a week and my head wasn't really in it," all-rounder Stokes told the Weekend Herald about his last Test appearance.
"Leaving (the team) was the right choice from a mental point of view."
