In his exclusive interview with Times of India, England all-rounder Ben Stoke revealed his plans for IPL which is few days away, before discussing about India-Australia series and Ashes preparations and also the different aspects of the game while further shedding light on his international career.
The 25-year-old Stokes, who arrived in India on Thursday (March 30), revealed he was excited to join the Supergiant teammates alongside Steven Smith and Ajinkya Rahane, who led India in the series decider in Dharamsala and regained the four-match Border Gavaskar series 2-1 against Smith and Co.
“I have been with Steve [Smith] and Jinks [Ajinkya Rahane] all day. It was good catching up with them and a couple of other guys involved with Pune,” Stokes was quoted as saying by TOI.
Stokes had been the costliest buy as a foreign recruit in February’s Indian Premier League (IPL) Players Auction 2017 by claiming INR 14.5 crore deal, as he was bought by Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) for the tenth edition of Indian Premier League (IPL), which will kick-start from April 5 in Hyderabad.
The Christchurch-born Stokes has been a vital cog for England and he has expressed satisfaction over the preparations taking place for the 10th anniversary of the mega cricket festival in India in the form of IPL, which has become an instant hit across the globe and is hopeful to deliver for his team.
“To be honest, I have been listening to Rahane and Smith being asked about the Test series… enjoyed a couple of laughs. They handled it really well. In a way they said what has happened has happened,” Stokes said.
Smith and Rahane are playing for Supergiant and they want to give their best for their side according to Stokes, who stated he listened the words and equally followed the insights over the recently concluded four-match between the top Test playing nations.
“They both [Smith-Rahane] want to forget about that [series] as they are in the same team and want to perform well for their team. There did not seem any battle between them. I don’t think it was just for show. That’s what my day has been, listening to them about their rivalry,” Stokes added.
Stokes has praised India spin-bowling duo Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja for their spending show against Australia after drubbing England by 4-0 in the five-match Test series.
“It’s a shame we could not produce something close to what Australia managed to do against India. It is very difficult to play Ashwin and Jadeja on Day 3 or Day 4 pitches. Jadeja is now the best bowler in the world,” Stokes asserted.
Stokes reiterated India is tough place to play and equally to win, before stating India-Australia had played outstanding cricket throughout the six-week schedule.
“I know it is a tough place to come and play, let alone win. The standard of cricket the two teams (India and Australia) showed during the series was very high,” Stokes added.
IPL is a grand opportunity for English players to give their best every passing season. However, Stokes feels overlapping of the country’s fixture with the IPL did not witness the English recruits in IPL in its previous editions.
“Now it’s a great opportunity for not just me, but all the other English players to come here and focus on T20 skills for a long period of time,” Stokes further added.
Stokes who is the big fan of ‘daal (pulses) and naan (bread)’ stated Ashes is biggest thing for England, as it has been a traditional one for Australia too.
“I have toured India, South Africa and Australia. Obviously, the fact that it is an Ashes series, it builds up even more than India and South Africa. There’s so much hype around it and much media attention,” Stokes concluded.
Stokes has praised Joe Root as his best bet against the moving ball. He has revealed Indian skipper Virat Kohli and Steven Smith becomes destructive when they settle in before stating Kane Williamson is a tough nut to crack.
Stokes, who admitted for not having any idol to follow, but has showing affection for former South African cricketer Herschelle Gibbs. He stated Gibbs was the good batsman and the way he had been on the field was outstanding to watch being as a passionate follower of the game.
Since making his debut in 2011, Stokes has played 53 ODIs, 32 Tests and 21 Twenty-20 Internationals for England.