THE MEGABUCKS Indian Premier League starts on Friday and could have a huge impact on the Ashes.

Several of England’s likely teams to face the Aussies this summer are playing in the tournament – and that means praying they stay fit.

 Head coach Brendon McCullum might be a cool dude but even he will watch the progress of Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Mark Wood with trepidation.

Jonny Bairstow and Will Jacks have already been ruled out of the IPL with pre-existing injuries.

Stokes features in the opening match between champions Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings.

Archer and Wood are England’s two fastest bowlers but their careers have been riddled with injury. Archer is just back from two years’ absence because of back and elbow problems while Wood’s winter was disrupted by a hip injury.

And Stokes will not bowl in the early weeks of the IPL to protect his wonky left knee. He had a cortisone injection into the joint earlier this month.

Joe Root appears in the IPL for the first time as he seeks to prove he can be an effective T20 batsman on a global stage. The tricks and ingenuity required in T20 might help his ‘Bazball’ batting in Test cricket, too.

Players insist the IPL will broaden their experience and horizons. But, let’s be honest, it’s all about money.

And some of the numbers attracted by top English players are eye-watering – at least for cricket.

All-rounder Sam Curran, on the back of his Player of the Tournament and Player of the Final awards in England’s T20 World Cup triumph in November, was signed for a record £1.85m by Punjab Kings.

And the hammer came down on Sunrisers Hyderabad’s bid for Harry Brook, England’s batting star of the winter, at £1.325m. Stokes’deal with Chennai Super Kings is worth £1.625m.

After a hectic winter and with a big summer looming, these players would relish time at home with their families. But nobody can blame them for cashing in when careers can be so short.

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Chennai Super Kings

England watch

England fans hope Ben Stokes’ knee comes through unscathed because his fitness is key to the Ashes. There is previous – he suffered a broken finger in IPL 2021 that affected him physically and mentally for months. Moeen Ali is a team-mate at CSK.

Captain – M.S.Dhoni (Ind)

Coach – Stephen Fleming (NZ)

Other stars – Ravi Jadeja (Ind), Devon Conway (NZ)

Best – Champions four times

Delhi Capitals

England watch

Phil Salt endured a poor end to England’s winter with several low scores and a golden duck in his final innings. He might keep wicket for Delhi. Ricky Ponting, a dynamic coach and communicator, could help reboot an international career that seems to be fading.

Captain – David Warner (Aus)

Coach – Ricky Ponting (Aus)

Other stars – Mitch Marsh (Aus), Anrich Nortje (SA)

Best – Runners-up 2020

Gujarat Titans

England watch

The reigning champions have no England players although Irish left-armer Josh Little is in their squad. Former England white-ball batsman Vikram Solanki is director of cricket.Gujurat, one of two new teams last year in an expanded IPL, won at their first attempt.

Captain – Hardik Pandya (Ind)

Coach – Ashish Nehra (Ind)

Other stars – Rashid Khan (Afg), Kane Williamson (NZ)

Best – Winners 2022

Kolkata Knight Riders

England watch

Brendon McCullum was KKR coach until lured by England. Within weeks, ‘Bazball’ had transformed Test cricket. KKR have no England players but ex-Essex and Holland all-rounder Ryan ten Doeschate is fielding coach.

Captain – Shreyas Iyer (injured – Nitish Rana deputises, both Ind)

Coach – Chandrakant Pandit (Ind)

Other stars – Andre Russell (WI), Sunil Narine (WI)

Best -Winners 2012, 2014

Lucknow Super Giants

England watch

Mark Wood was superb in England’s successful T20 World Cup campaign until a hip injury ruled him out the semi-final and final. He has played sporadically since but, if fit, his 90mph-plus thunderbolts will be a crucial Ashes weapon.

Captain – K.L.Rahul (Ind)

Coach – Andy Flower (Zim)

Other stars – Nicholas Pooran (WI), Quinton de Kock (SA)

Best – Fourth 2022 (their only season)

Mumbai Indians

England watch

After two years of elbow and back problems, Jofra Archer bowled with increasing fire in Bangladesh earlier this month. But he faces a demanding task to lead Mumbai’s attack in the absence of injured Indian star Jasprit Bumrah.

Captain – Rohit Sharma (Ind)

Coach – Mark Boucher (SA)

Other stars – Cameron Green (Aus), Dewald Brevis (SA)

Best – Champions five times

Punjab Kings

England watch

Jonny Bairstow’s broken leg playing golf last year rules him out. He hopes to play some matches for Yorkshire. Sam Curran, the most expensive purchase in IPL history at £1.85m, and Liam Livingstone form a strong England contingent.

Captain – Shikhar Dhawan (Ind)

Coach – Trevor Bayliss (Aus)

Other stars – Kagiso Rabada (SA), Matthew Short (Aus)

Best – Runners-up in 2014

Rajasthan Royals

England watch

After a decade as one of the world’s best batters, Joe Root is in the IPL for the first time and determined to show he can be a potent T20 force. But Jos Buttler, who scored four centuries in IPL 2022, remains the Royals’ key England star.

Captain – Sanju Samson (Ind)

Coach – Kumar Sangakkara (SL)

Other stars – Trent Boult (NZ), Jason Holder (WI)

Best – Winners 2008

Royal Challengers Bangalore

England watch

RCB have two England left-arm white-ball bowlers – Reece Topley and David Willey – with Topley likely to get the nod for the starting XI. Surrey’s big-hitting Will Jacks has been ruled out with a thigh injury.

Captain – Faf du Plessis (SA)

Coach – Sanjay Bangar (Ind)

Other stars – Virat Kohli (Ind), Glenn Maxwell (Aus)

Best – Runners-up three times

Sunrisers Hyderabad

England watch

Harry Brook is one of the most anticipated players after his prolific winter with the bat earned a £1.325m deal with Sunrisers. Veteran leggie Adil Rashid, a key man for England, also plays in the IPL for the first time.

Captain – Aiden Markram (SA)

Coach – Brian Lara (WI)

Other stars – Heinrich Klaasen (SA), Marco Jansen (SA)

Best – Winners 2016

How to watch IPL

You can watch IPL games live on DAZN or Sky Sports, all matches are available via a standard DAZN membership which costs just £9.99 per month for an annual subscription. Or you can sign up for a one-month pass only.

Fans can also tune into Sky Sports Cricket for just £18 per month or multiple channels for £25 per month.