Ben Stokes, an important signing for Chennai Super Kings, will probably begin the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season as a specialised hitter. During the IPL 2023 sale, CSK paid a whopping amount of Rs 16.25 crore to secure the services of the England all-rounder.
According to a story in ESPNCricinfo, the England Test captain had a cortisone shot to treat an injury to his left leg. As a result, he won’t be seen bowling much in the league’s opening stages.
“My understanding is he’s ready to go as a batsman from the start,” Mike Hussey, Super Kings’ batting coach, told ESPNcricinfo and PA news. “The bowling might be wait and see. I know he had his first very light bowl yesterday [Sunday] since he had his injections in his knee.“The physios from Chennai and the ECB are working pretty closely together. My understanding is he won’t be bowling much at all in the first few games of the tournament… it might be a few weeks. I’m not 100% sure, [but we will] hopefully get him bowling at some stage in the tournament.”
Although he recently experienced a flare-up during England’s visit of New Zealand, the 31-year-old has battled through numerous knee ailments throughout his career. As a result, he was limited to just nine overs in the two Test matches. On the closing day of the match, Stokes also appeared uncomfortable.