image source, CSK/Twitter
“Ben Stokes will be delighted to join Chennai Super Kings. The reason is that every player would love to play under MS Dhoni. He is loved by many” – these are the words of IPL legend Chris Gayle.
The moment Chennai bought Ben Stokes in the auction, the fans started celebrating on the internet. Many are excited that the Dhoni-Ben Stokes combo will win the trophy this time for Chennai.
Ben Stokes Rs. 16.25 crores
2019, 50 Over World Cup, 2022 T20 World Cup Ben Stokes was the main reason for England to win the trophy.
Be it T20, ODI, Test, any format of cricket, Stokes is adept at changing the course of the game.
He excelled in both batting and bowling. The world’s top all-rounder. He recently toured Pakistan and returned with a historic victory.
Chennai Super Kings has picked up the action hero who is the owner of many such honors. Teams including Bengaluru, Rajasthan, Lucknela and Hyderabad showed interest in buying Ben Stokes.
But out of reach. Ben Stokes has joined CSK for Rs 16.25 crore in the IPL 2023 auction, up from the base price of Rs 2 crore.
Ben Stokes is also the highest buy in the auction history of Chennai Super Kings.
Will Ben Stokes shoulder Dhoni?
2017 was an important year for Ben Stokes in IPL history. For the first time in the IPL, he was auctioned by Rising Pune Supergiants for Rs 14.5 crore.
Dhoni played for Pune as Chennai Super Kings were not playing then.
Ben Stokes’ IPL campaign saw him score the most runs in that year. He scored 316 runs in 12 matches.
It includes a hundred and a fifties. He also took 12 wickets in bowling. That year Pune reached the final and lost to Mumbai.
Ben Stokes may be easy for captain Dhoni to handle as he already has experience of playing alongside Dhoni.
Besides, 41-year-old Dhoni can announce his retirement anytime.
Ben Stokes can be proposed by the Chennai team as a replacement for him as a captain. Also Dwayne Bravo can fill the void with more strength.
image source, Getty Images
Ben Stokes has done well as England’s captain. He has experience leading a team.
According to a leading cricket media, Stokes may have been chosen to beautify the captaincy of the Chennai team after Dhoni.
“Ben Stokes is a perfect fit for Chennai Super Kings,” said IPL legend Chris Gayle.
Similarly, Suresh Raina, the former player of the Chennai team, spoke on a television program and said, “MS Dhoni will guide Stokes well.
Stokes is a world champion. He was instrumental in the team’s victory in the T20 World Cup. His cricketing brain will come in handy for Chennai’s young players. Chennai fans will love him a lot.
Both Stokes and Rahane have played with Dhoni. Ben Stokes is a good choice to replace Bravo,” he said.
New faces of the Chennai team
In the ‘IPL 2023’ auction, the Chennai team completely filled all the 7 vacant seats for themselves. Apart from Ben Stokes, the other 6 players were taken for less amount. New Zealand bowler Kyle Jamieson was auctioned for Rs 1 crore.
Apart from this, all-rounder Nishant Sindhu, who was part of the Indian team that won the Under-19 World Cup, was bought by the Chennai team for Rs 60 lakh.
Indian player Ajinkya Rahane was included in his first auction by CSK for Rs 50 lakh. Apart from this, young players Sheikh Rashid, Ajay Mandal and Bhagat Verma were auctioned for Rs 20 lakh each.
Will CSK win the trophy for the 5th time?
image source, BCCI/IPL
Before the start of the last season, Dhoni CSK. Jadeja was announced as the new captain as he announced his retirement from the captaincy.
Under the leadership of Jadeja, the Chennai team suffered a series of defeats. Dhoni became the captain again. However, the Chennai team could not even enter the play-off round.
Played 14 matches and suffered 10 defeats. Ranked 9th in the points table. This time, the Chennai team, under the leadership of Dhoni, will be inspired right from the start. The Chennai team, which faced bad defeats in 2020, clinched the title of champion in 2021.
The addition of Ben Stokes to the team now will be an added strength. At the same time, Dhoni’s strategy and other players’ consistency will determine CSK’s trophy dream.
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