England Test captain Ben Stokes had a disappointing outing in IPL 2023. Despite being the costliest buy for his franchise, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), he only played two matches, scoring 15 runs and hardly bowling due to a knee injury and selection issues.
During the league stage, the Chennai Super Kings faced confidence issues due to injuries to their key players. However, they eventually reached the IPL 2023 final and triumphed over the defending champion Gujarat Titans in a thrilling last-ball match that lasted nearly three days due to constant rain in Ahmedabad.
Ben Stokes, who came to the IPL with high expectations, had to take a backseat due to his injury troubles and England’s upcoming Ashes series. In a light-hearted conversation with the English media, he jokingly compared his role in CSK’s IPL victory to John Terry’s in Chelsea’s 2013 Champions League win, despite missing the final due to suspension.
Stokes remarked, “I played a John Terry role in winning the IPL,” during press commitments at Lord’s.
While he found humor in the situation, Stokes admitted that he would have preferred to be on the field playing. However, he managed to turn the disappointment into a positive by focusing on training. Being unable to play allowed him to concentrate on improving his batting technique, fitness, and other aspects of his game.
“I would much rather have been playing, but I turned this disappointing situation into a positive one. I dedicated my time to training, working on my batting technique, fitness, and other areas,” he said.