Jennifer
Ben Stokes, the English all-rounder, has been one of the most sought-after players in the Indian T20 League for quite some time now. His ability to change the course of the game single-handedly has made him an indispensable member of any team he represents. However, the 2023 ITL season did not start as he would have hoped for, as he failed to get going with the bat in Chennai’s opening fixture against Gujarat.
Stokes, who came out to bat at No.4, looked to take on Gujarat’s spinners right from the outset. He struck a stunning boundary down the ground off Rashid Khan in the eighth over of Chennai’s innings, which seemed to suggest that he was in good touch. However, the crafty spinner bounced back, outfoxing Stokes in the very next delivery.
Rashid bowled a quicker delivery outside the off stump, which Stokes misjudged and edged it to the wicketkeeper while trying to hit it through the offside. The dismissal was a big blow for Chennai, who were looking to build a solid partnership after a blistering start provided by Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Following the dismissal, a number of fans took to social media, trolling England’s Test captain for his dismal performance with the bat. While it is true that Stokes did not have the best of days with the bat, it would be unfair to judge him based on one innings. He is a world-class player who has won numerous matches for his team in the past, and it is only a matter of time before he gets back into his groove.
It is worth noting that Stokes is still returning to competitive cricket after a long injury layoff, and it may take him a few games to get back into the rhythm. It is also important to remember that cricket is a team game, and one player’s failure should not be used to single them out for criticism.
Here’s how Twitter reacted to Ben Stokes’s failure in ITL opener:
Ben Stokes🤣😭 pic.twitter.com/f4EUAHFFKi
— Pulkit🇮🇳 (@pulkit5Dx) March 31, 2023
Ben Stokes out cheaply
CSK fans: pic.twitter.com/S7VVRRdeMs
— Ankit Pathak 🇮🇳 (@ankit_acerbic) March 31, 2023
Rashid Khan after taking the wicket of Ben Stokes #GTvsCSK #IPL2023 pic.twitter.com/gyN8raOUxD
— Harneet Singh 🇮🇳 (@Harneet_memer) March 31, 2023
Ben Stokes Now
Aisa Mere Sath Kyu Hota Hai #IPL2023 #Jiocinema #GTvsCSK pic.twitter.com/WW3qCQRTbk— 𝐊𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐚🦅 (@ikhaira07) March 31, 2023
Naam bade darshan chote.
Ben Stokes. #GTvCSK #GTvsCSK pic.twitter.com/dff6NASItx— Dr.Pradeep (@dr_pvg) March 31, 2023
16 cr lekr 16 tarike se kudh ki team maarne ka ghamand hain. #benstokes
— Aman mishra🇮🇳 (@cricexigency07) March 31, 2023
Why to give 16 cr to Ben Stokes if he not gonna bowl? That much amount just for a avg middle order Batsmen? instead they should've spent that amount to buy good bowlers
— Aman Rai🥳 (@unfollowaman) March 31, 2023
Ben Stokes is overrated in t20s, u have to make him open if u expect a decent performance out of him otherwise he's useless
— . (@AryanBackup) March 31, 2023
Ben stokes😭💀 pic.twitter.com/9m4pFAPzoL
— Lightning404 (@IshowLightning) March 31, 2023
