The England all-rounder Ben Stokes is an integral part of the Rajasthan Royals. Before the season the Royals were optimistic about Ben Stokes playing in IPL 2020. However now with Stokes currently in New Zealand for his ailing father, it is likely that he might not arrive in the UAE.
Former England cricketer Monty Panesar to believes that Stokes would like to stay with his father during troublesome times and skip IPL 2020. Stokes’s father is diagnosed with brain cancer and is currently undergoing treatment in New Zealand.
I Doubt Stokes Will Be Coming To IPL- Monty Panesar
“With Ben Stokes, the situation is that his father is not in a good space. For that reason, he will probably be in New Zealand and I doubt he will be coming to the IPL,” said Panesar told Timesofindia.com
Meanwhile, if Stokes decides to miss IPL 2020 it will be a heavy blow for the Rajasthan Royals. The all-rounder in the last few years was in the form of his life and played an instrumental role during the world cup and Ashes for England last year.
Panesar termed Stokes as the ‘Superman of cricket’ and added that his presence in Royals camp will be huge for the franchise during the current IPL season. Stokes is undoubtedly a game-changer with both bat and ball and most importantly he always performs under pressure.
“He is a huge influence player, one of the key players with all-round abilities, dubbed the ‘Superman of cricket’. I think his presence in the IPL will be massive,” said Panesar.
Also Read: Rajasthan Royals Head Coach Not Sure About Ben Stokes Participation In IPL 2020
Furthermore, the Royals were without Stokes and Jos Buttler in their opening match but ended up being victorious against CSK. Buttler after completing his quarantine period will now feature in the match against Kings XI Punjab on September 27 (Sunday) at Sharjah.
There’s no denying that the inclusion of Stokes will immediately boost the spirit in the Royals camp. However, the franchise has already made it clear that they don’t want Stokes to rush things and play in IPL as understandably his family should be his priority.
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