Ben Stokes is still with his family in all probability as Rajasthan Royals (RR) head coach and former Australian cricketer Andrew McDonald said that the franchise still has doubt over the availability of the England star all-rounder for the 13th edition of Indian Premier League.
Many players like Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh of Chennai Super Kings and Lasith Malinga of Mumbai Indians have opted out of IPL 2020 while others like Jason Roy and Harry Gurney are injured. Chris Woakes and Kane Richardson also opted out of the tournament.
Ben Stokes Played Remarkably Well In IPL 2017 But Could Not Repeat His Performances In 2018 And 2019:
The New Zealand-born England cricketer, Ben Stokes, is one of the finest all-rounders of the white-ball cricket. A destructive batsman and an effective fast-bowler, he has remained at the spotlight of some of England’s recent triumphs including World Cup 2019 win and making a thrilling Ashes ton at Headingley to name a few.
He made waves in his first season of the IPL when he was bought by the Rising Pune Supergiants at a record price of INR 14.5 cr. He smashed an unbeaten 103 in his first season and returned with a best of 3/18 during his 12 matches for the former defunct franchise in IPL 2017. He did not enjoy much success in the last two IPL seasons.
Photo Credit: IPL/BCCI.
The 29-year-old all-rounder had missed the second and third Tests against Pakistan due to family reasons. The head coach said that the franchise is ready to give an ample amount of time but they are still unsure about Ben Stokes availability for IPL 2020.
Ben Stokes Have Not Informed Team Management Of His Location
Ben Stokes reveals he didn’t sleep for a week after finding out his father Ged Stokes was suffering from brain cancer. The former New Zealand rugby league star was diagnosed with the illness in January after returning to New Zealand from South Africa, where he was taken ill over the winter.
“So yeah, we’re not sure where Stokesy’s at right now, but once it has played out, then we can make our decisions from there. But I don’t want to second-guess what will happen with him just yet,” he added.
Ben Stokes who scored 123 runs and took six wickets in nine matches last season has not been too impressive in IPL as he played only the last three seasons. He has scored 635 runs and took 26 wickets in 34 matches, the bulk of which came in 2017.
The IPL 2020 will be played in the UAE from September 19-November 10 and the tournament will run for 53 days.
Rajasthan will face Chennai Super Kings in their opening game on September 22.