Ben Stokes won’t allow the IPL to come in the way of national duty, saying he would prefer to fly back and lead England against Ireland in the build-up Test ahead of the high-stakes Ashes even if his franchise makes the final.

Stokes had missed the last edition of the IPL but is set to wear the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) jersey this season which begins on March 31.

The IPL final is slated on May 28, while England take on Ireland in the one-off Test from June 1. The Super Kings play their first game of this year’s IPL against Lucknow Super Giants on April 3.

“Yes, I’ll play,” premier all-rounder Stokes said when asked if he would play for England even if CSK qualify for the title clash.

“I’ll be making sure that I give myself enough time to get back and play that game (against Ireland).”

There has been a debate in international cricket as to whether players are preferring private leagues over national duty. Stokes said he can’t say about the choice of his England colleagues.

Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood and Harry Brook have all been roped in by the IPL teams.

“I think it’s a little bit too far ahead to say for others. But one thing I’ve got to look at is we’ve got the Ashes after the Ireland Test, so I’ll probably get round the individuals and ask them when they want to be ready for the Ashes,” Stokes, the England Test captain, said.

“Those five games are obviously the big ones of the summer and you’ve got to think about what the lads want. But you also have to think if something was to happen in that game and we lose someone for the Ashes.

“It’s just one of those aspects where you have to weigh up the options of what the individual actually wants out of that week versus if we really need to play that one. Because I’m obviously right in saying that the Ashes series is bigger than that game against Ireland.”

The Ashes begin on June 16 in Birmingham.

Leading 1-0 in the ongoing series versus New Zealand, England are set to go in unchanged for the second Test beginning on Friday at the Basin Reserve (Wellington).

“It was just a case of seeing how the bowlers pulled up, and they’ve all pulled up pretty well. So yeah, unchanged team,” Stokes said on Thursday.

“It was pretty easy to pick the team once they told me they were ready to go,” the skipper added.

Ben’s dates

■ IPL final: May 28

■ Test vs Ireland: June 1

■ Ashes begins: June 16 (Birmingham)